Video
More sustainable investments in Laos
The land area in landlocked Laos is to be used more sustainably. New land investments are to be assessed legally, economically, ecologically and socially. To achieve this, researchers from the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern have established a collaboration with the Laotian government.
To promote economic growth and improve the quality of life of its population, the government of Laos has granted more than one million hectares of land to commercial investors since 2006. But to what extent has this policy of turning land into capital actually contributed to sustainable development? To find out, CDE researchers have worked with the government of Laos for the last few years, taking stock of land concessions and studying their quality, among other things. Today, a custom designed national digital information system enables Laos to effectively manage its concessions. It has revealed that not all investors deliver what they promise. In 2022, the government of Laos halted 170 investment projects. The video shows what scientific cooperation with the government has delivered – and how it will continue in the future.