VFI launches RightsLINK Lao Program (Rights, Land, Information, Networking and Knowledge Lao) in Laos

The rapid economic transformation in Laos is having a profound impact on all aspects of society, particularly in terms of how land is used, managed and accessed by local people, the state and private investors. This is profoundly important to all Lao people, since more than 80% of the people still live directly off the land.

In 2007, VFI recognized the significance of land rights issues as they impact the health and food security of village people and took the unprecedented step of creating the "Village Rights and Responsibilities to Land and Forest Resources" guidebook (PDF), with corresponding training materials. Now, VFI has taken a major step forward towards creating a national program on land rights, in order to improve access for farmers, government officials, national policy-makers and civil society professionals to knowledge and information to make informed decisions about land and legal rights in the Lao PDR. For more information, click here.