Enhancing the Effectiveness of Protected Forest Areas: Lessons learned from the NamHa National Protected Area in Lao PDR
Protected forest areas help preserve forests and curb deforestation. However, their implementation is frequently complex as a result of the many and frequently opposed claims on forests from different stakeholders, from local populations to global environmental movements. Based on the example of the NamHa National Protected Area (NPA) in northern Laos, where we conducted field work from 2016-2018, we propose concrete actions to improve protected area (PA) effectiveness, from clear goal identification and anticipation of impacts, to local stakeholder engagement, goal-targeted monitoring, and fair enforcement
Victoria Junquera 