Strengthening village ownership for forest protection in HouaySoua Village
GIZ, together with local partners and villagers in HouaySoua Village, Paktha District, Bokeo Province, implemented activities under the Village Forest Management Plan (VFMP) and the Village Forest and Agriculture Grants (VFAG) to support the Annual Operation Plan (AOP).
A total of around 40 villagers, both men and women, participated in the AOP review, consultation meetings, and the introduction of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). These discussions provided a platform for community members to share their perspectives, raise concerns, and reach a common understanding on forest management and implementation.
Following the consultations, villagers jointly carried out practical activities, including forest boundary demarcation across different forest categories, boundary monitoring and patrolling, as well as exercises on forest fire monitoring and control, and basic silviculture practices.
In parallel, members of the Village Forest and Agriculture Grants Committees (VFAGCs) worked on the calculation of the AOP budget and preparation of payments to participating villagers. This process contributed to strengthening transparency, accountability, and trust within the community.
As a result, villagers have strengthened both their technical capacities and their collective ownership of forest management. They are better equipped to manage forest resources, respond to risks, and implement agreed activities in a coordinated manner.
This contributes to more effective and sustainable forest management at village level, while reinforcing community ownership as a key foundation for long-term impact. These activities are implemented by the Climate Protection through Avoided Deforestation (CliPAD) project, co-financed by Germany and the Green Climate Fund. With a total volume of EUR 62 million, CliPAD contributes to Lao PDR’s Emission Reduction Programme and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aiming to reduce 11.7 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent while strengthening sustainable livelihoods at village level.
