Environmental Protection Law (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)

The Environmental Protection Law specifies necessary principles, rules and measures for managing, monitoring, restoring and protecting the environment in order to protect public, natural resources and biodiversity, and to ensure the sustainable socioeconomic development of the nation. It defines Environmental Protection as consisting of all activities that contribute to the protection of the environment and do not cause damage to the environment, which ensure a clean and pollution-free environment, and which do not cause negative impacts to human, animal, plant and ecological health. It contains a chapter on Prevention of Environmental Degradation which is defined as the restriction of any actions that cause or could cause damage to or reduce the quality of the social and natural environment. Its chapter on Protection, Exploitation and Use of Natural Resources imposes an obligation on all persons and organizations to protect natural resources. Similarly, its chapter on pollution provides that all persons and organizations have a responsibility to engage in pollution control.