On Monday July 12th, NNT-NP and NTPC, along with key conservation actors, joined the national consultation on IUCN Green List, co-chaired by the Department of Forestry and the French Ambassador to Lao PDR. At the heart of this nation-wide meeting: illustrate the criteria of IUCN Green List and give more information on experts who will be selected to evaluate the candidate park’s current conservation and management practices. Lao and international experts will help identify improvement paths, develop recommendations and support the parks in including those recommendations in their daily management plan. This first phase, called Fit and Gap analysis, is necessary before IUCN can effectively review NNT-NP’s application to Green List. NTPC, NNT-NP and IUCN are currently collaborating to launch this analysis before the end of July.
For NTPC’s CEO, Mr. Olivier Didry, the IUCN Green List will not only result in improved management and conservation outcomes in NNTNP, but will also contribute to strengthen sustainable livelihood around the area, as confirmed by Mr. Outhai Vongsa, Director of the park, in his online presentation.