Vientiane (VNA) – Laos has launched a pollution and waste management project to promote a cleaner, healthier environment, Lao Economic Daily reported on February 23.
The project, running from 2025 to 2031, aims to strengthen pollution control monitoring and enforcement, improve waste management in target areas, and enhance emergency response capacity during disasters,
Laos generates an estimated 6,900 tonnes of household waste daily, with the Lao capital city of Vientiane accounting for 15% of the total. However, with waste collection services covering less than half of this amount, many residents dispose of their waste improperly, often dumping it in unauthorised sites, leading to air pollution and posing serious health risks, according to the report.
The project will focus on building standardized landfill infrastructure, improving financial sustainability in waste management systems, reducing operational costs, and expanding collection services, particularly in Vientiane.
It will also introduce composting equipment and promote waste separation at source to encourage recycling and the transformation of organic waste into income-generating products.
Once implemented, the project is expected to directly benefit about 645,000 people, or about 70% of Vientiane's population, by providing more systematic and efficient waste collection services, the report said./.
