Laos launches project to tackle pollution, improve waste management

VIENTIANE, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Laos has launched a pollution and waste management project to promote a cleaner, healthier environment.

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, Lao Economic Daily reported on Monday.

Laos generates an estimated 6,900 tons of household waste daily, with the Lao capital Vientiane accounting for 15 percent 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 unauthorized 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 percent of Vientiane's population, by providing more systematic and efficient waste collection services, the report said. Enditem