Day: April 1, 2022

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Vientiane residents urged to celebrate Pi Mai in a thrifty and peaceful manner

The Vientiane Administration Office has issued an order to maintain peace and order during the celebration of Pi Mai Lao or Lao New Year B.E 2565 in Vientiane noting that Pi Mai celebration (Apr 14-16) must be in a thrifty, peaceful manner and in line with fine national traditions and Covid-19 prevention and control measures.

Since this year the 16th April falls on Saturday, the government has designated the 13th April as a substitute holiday for Pi Mai Lao celebration.

Dated Mar 31, the order prohibits public and private offices and individuals from organizing festive parties during New Year celebration to prevent Covid-19 spread and to promote thrifty lifestyles.

No concerts, loud music and outdoor entertainment activities, especially nearby temples, tourist sites, food gardens, water parks, resorts, beaches in the Ngum and Mekong rivers, roadsides are allowed to be organized along with Miss Sangkhan contests, Miss Sangkhan Parades, and other mass gatherings.

Splashing each other with coloured, dirty and itchy water, and driving vehicles along the road to splash water at people on roadsides, throwing plastic balls of water at each other are banned.

Wearing girly clothing and behaving in an obscene manner at temples, places of worship and other public places, or drink-driving are also prohibited.

No crackers can be burnt and no loud music can be played to disturb other people.

The order also asks the Vientiane Commerce and Industry Department and district Commerce and Industry offices in Vientiane to inspect and manage goods prices, and impose strict and prompt measures against those hoarding goods and gouging goods prices.

Source: Lao News Agency

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Plastic Waste Causing Serious Environmental, Health and Economic Impacts in Laos – World Bank Study

Economic growth and changing lifestyles in the Lao PDR over the past 20 years mean that people are now generating twice as much household waste, much of which is not properly disposed.

A new World Bank report tracks where waste comes from and where it ends up, and shows this pollution can have serious effects on human health, the environment, and the economy.

The new World Bank report, Get CLEAN and GREEN—Solid and Plastic Waste Management in the Lao PDR, supported by the Korean Green Growth Trust Fund and PROBLUE, also offers recommendations on how to better control solid waste and plastic pollution and is being used by the government as a key input for a National Plastics Action Plan.

Almost a quarter of the waste found in Lao cities is plastic. Plastic waste is now found everywhere in the Lao environment, affecting fish catches, blocking drains, causing air pollution, and harming tourism destinations.

The World Bank found that in six Lao cities, 95 per cent of plastic pollution is caused by only ten items — all single-use plastics. Single-use food and drink packaging is the top plastic product category, accounting for nearly half of this pollution, and the hospitality and tourism sectors have been identified as key contributor.

Around 10,000 deaths each year in Laos stem from environmental health factors, with almost half these deaths attributable to air pollution, to which the burning of plastics and other household waste is a major contributor.

According to Alex Kremer, Lao PDR Country Manager, this report shows how plastic waste is harming the incomes and health of Lao people. “Flooded streets, bronchitis, lost jobs in tourism, and reduced fish catches – these are some of the ways that plastic waste can affect the country,” said Mr. Kremer. “But fortunately there are simple solutions. For example, many countries have banned lightweight plastic bags or disposable plates and plastic bottles in restaurants. As a result, less waste is created, tourism sites are more beautiful, drains get blocked less often and children breathe less smoke from burning plastic.”

The Lao government has committed to addressing the solid waste and plastics challenge, through the National Plastics Action Plan — supported by the World Bank and the EU Switch Asia Facility. The plan considers a “circular economy” approach to help achieve the government’s National Green Growth Strategy 2030.

This transition requires behavior change at every stage of a product’s life in the economy: from research and development, through design and material selection, to manufacturing, transport and distribution, and finally usage and end-of-life management.

To help this happen, the new report proposes a Plastic Policy Roadmap and a ten-step roadmap to guide the development of the National Plastic Action Plan. Four types of measure will reduce plastic pollution and consumption: regulatory change supported by enforcement, economic incentives, information and awareness building, and voluntary approaches and agreements.

Source: Lao News Agency