Steps must be taken to protect wetlands in Vientiane and its surrounds or the city will face flooding and environmental hazards in the future, a senior city official has warned.
Director of the Science and Technology Department, Mr Daophet Aroune, made the comments in a presentation at a meeting of the Wetland Management Water Project held in Vientiane on January 26.
He said wetlands play an important role in the storage of storm water and prevention of flooding in the city. They also recycle water, maintaining ecological systems and allowing aquatic species to thrive, as well as serving as important sources of food for local people.
He said one potential development for the wetlands is to turn them into recreational areas where city residents can gather for picnics.
Mr Daophet said there were about 20 wetlands in the city and surrounding area, most of which are threatened by human activity such as industrial and residential expansion.
He said there are many laws and regulations already in place to protect environmental resources such as wetlands but authorities fail to effectively enforce them, resulting in the loss of large areas of wetlands.
Demand for land in Vientiane has increased rapidly over the past decade as the economy and population expands. As a result many people have filled in wetlands and built residential properties on them.
Although large swathes of the city's wetlands have already been lost, the situation is not yet critical, said Mr Daophet.
“The loss of wetlands is not yet critical but if we allow these problems to continue it will be too late for us to protect them,” he said in an interview with Vientiane Times.
Mr Daophet said Vientiane authorities have completed demarcation of many wetlands and rice fields to prevent people from building on them.
However, some people continue to break the law and destroy wetland areas.
New, stricter measures are needed to ensure wetlands in the city are effectively protected, Mr Daophet said.
Rapid urban expansion in Vientiane is not only affecting wetlands but also rice fields and other agricultural land.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Agriculture Department said measures were needed to stop people turning agricultural land into residential areas, adding that if the situation continued as it is now, the country could face a shortage of rice and other crops in the future.
"Demand for land in Vientiane has increased rapidly over the past decade as the economy and population expands. As a result many people have filled in wetlands and built residential properties on them."
How is this possible? Can anyone just wonder around and then build a house on any vacant land in Vientiane?
So who would win? The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Agriculture Department wants to protect wetlands and the other Ministry wants to build that China Town on it.
So who would win? The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Agriculture Department wants to protect wetlands and the other Ministry wants to build that China Town on it.
I am afraid that the China's wetland project will win the war. Everybody knows that Laos is losing the land for cultivation year by year and the farmers will not have enough land to grow the rice.
So who would win? The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Agriculture Department wants to protect wetlands and the other Ministry wants to build that China Town on it.
Money will win $$$$$$$!!!!!!!!
as I have talked with people in Laos, 99% not supporting to build china town on the wetland and 99% of people don't support what the government asked china to build the new stadium and lease the land for compensation . so,, if Lao people don't support the protect, why does government agree? so the government is not Lao ppls?
Good thing I'm Lao Nork and not LaoNai. You see I was right LaoNai will suffer from this transformation. And many LaoNai will either leave or live in poverty as minority in Laos, while Chinese and Vietnamese population growth moving forward with or without Lao people.
This is my own "Worst Case Scenario" so don't take this comments as an argument ok?
BingBing, you may not have friends, cousins or family members live in Laos so you not feel hurt inside. I do have family members, relatives and friends live in Laos, my tear come out when i heard Laos Government force its people out from the land they live for their entire life and give those land to Vietnamese and Chines lease for decades.
BingBing, you may not have friends, cousins or family members live in Laos so you not feel hurt inside. I do have family members, relatives and friends live in Laos, my tear come out when i heard Laos Government force its people out from the land they live for their entire life and give those land to Vietnamese and Chines lease for decades.
And what are you doing about it? Crying will not help one bit.
as I have talked with people in Laos, 99% not supporting to build china town on the wetland and 99% of people don't support what the government asked china to build the new stadium and lease the land for compensation . so,, if Lao people don't support the protect, why does government agree? so the government is not Lao ppls?
Although the government can be ethnically lao, it's policy may not reflect the views or interest of it's general people. That's is correct, "the government is not Lao's ppls" in terms of interest since officials are not elected by it's citizens.
The lao government will likely need to compromise the deal to please everyone. They can also find ways to pay for stadium built by foreign investors to reduce the size of the wetlands development. A good and fair way to lease land is to auction it off to the highest bidder!Building up is an alternative to using farmland for residential and commercial uses. Admittedly, Laos does need foreign investment to help it catch up with the rest of the world. The controversy over development have brought much needed interest to Laos. Hopefully something good will come out from the deal and everyone wins.
"Demand for land in Vientiane has increased rapidly over the past decade as the economy and population expands. As a result many people have filled in wetlands and built residential properties on them."
How is this possible? Can anyone just wonder around and then build a house on any vacant land in Vientiane?
Squatting is very common in urbanized areas in asia. Its a societal disease that has high cost of "treatment." The best way to deal with them is relocate them in an area where there is income opportunity. If they are forced to leave and nowhere to go, chances are they will keep coming back.
BingBing, you may not have friends, cousins or family members live in Laos so you not feel hurt inside. I do have family members, relatives and friends live in Laos, my tear come out when i heard Laos Government force its people out from the land they live for their entire life and give those land to Vietnamese and Chines lease for decades.
I actually do have family in Laos. Right now our family are supporting them for higher education to go to college and work very hard and the mind strong and blunt.
The only reason why I,m not worried is because we're from Savannakhet city. But I wouldn't know of your case, but I am here to be an open minded person. You're reason is apart of our worried also, and we as LaoNai or LaoNok need to be strong and have more faith in each other if we are to survive Laos major transformation.
Please don't take my post as a threat. It is only a political chatting to see others view, and how they will coup of the possibility.
"Demand for land in Vientiane has increased rapidly over the past decade as the economy and population expands. As a result many people have filled in wetlands and built residential properties on them."
How is this possible? Can anyone just wonder around and then build a house on any vacant land in Vientiane?
I am telling you thats exactly it. people that are currently and claimed that the land belong to them is BS because back in the 70s the land is completely swamp like you can not build anything on it the land is dried up(direct result of global warming) so they just moved in and claimed its theirs. its pathetic. I know as a kid that was my playground.
