NZAID continues to support the Nam Ha eco tourism project as part of its ongoing commitment to improving rural livelihoods in Lao PDR.
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Lao People's Democratic Republic
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Snapshot
Lao People's Democratic Republic is a landlocked country in South East Asia, bordering Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Viet Nam. Although Lao has many natural resources, including timber and water for hydropower, its level of poverty is very high. In the 2008 Human Development Index Lao PDR was ranked 133 out of 177 nations.
Lao's population of more than five million people is made up of people from 49 different ethnic groups. Over 80 percent of the population live in rural and mountainous areas and rely on subsistence farming. Around 30 percent of the 580,000 aerial bombs dropped in the country during warfare from 1964 to 1975 remain, affecting 15 of Lao's 19 provinces. This has significantly affected Lao's rural development.
In 2003, the Lao Government devised a National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy. The strategy focuses on poverty eradication through human resource development, rural development and people's participation.
NZAID priorities
NZAID's priorities for Lao PDR are guided by the agency's focus on economic development and poverty reduction. The NZAID Asia Strategy and NZAID country strategy for Lao PDR. The three main sectors of focus include natural resource management, tourism, and human resource development.
NZAID on the ground
Partnership and aid effectiveness process
Lao PDR is committed to the Accra Aid Effectiveness Agenda and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. NZAID is working in partnership with the World Bank to support the implementation of the Lao PDR Aid Effectiveness Agenda through capacity development of government systems and officials.
Tourism
Building on the success of the Nam Ha eco-tourism project, NZAID is currently assisting the Lao National Tourism Administration to design and implement Lao National Tourism Strategy that will be rolled out in four provinces: Khammouane, Xieng Khuong , Bolikhamxay and Luang Namtha over the next five years.
Natural resource management
Through UNESCO, NZAID supports Lao PDR with a sustainable livelihoods programme through the UXO and mine clearance, pro-poor tourism, and sustainable heritage resource management in the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang Province.
Human resource development
NZAID provides ongoing support to human resource development in Lao PDR through the New Zealand Development Scholarship (NZDS) Programme, which is provided to Lao officials and open candidates. The NZDS programme brings up to 10 selected Lao candidates to undertake postgraduate study in New Zealand.
Lao PDR also benefits from other regional training programmes supported by NZAID, such as training programmes for middle management at the Mekong Institute and the Phnom Penh Plan for Management.
Rural livelihood development
NZAID also provides small-scale rural livelihood development projects through the Head of Mission Funds managed by the NZAID staff on the ground. This fund aims to enhance living standards and human resource development of the poor and in particular vulnerable groups through equitable and sustainable social and economic development.
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NZAID Scholarships