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Open waste burning is a widespread practice that is provoked by a lack of systematic waste collection, the unavailability of other disposal options, and inadequate land for the final disposal of the collected waste, especially in low- and middle-income countries. From a global perspective, two billion people have no waste collection at all, and the...

The sound management of healthcare waste (HCW) has been receiving increasing global attention, now even more so given the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncontrolled fluctuations in generation quantities, the composition of HCW as well as the significant impacts it poses on public health and the environment require a more dynamic and cohesive...

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has been implemented over the past decade, and has led to a restructuring of forest governance systems in host countries. In the case of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, which is promoting REDD+, activities have been implemented at national, sub-national and project scales...

Since the late 2000s, the global timber trade has undergone emerging legality requirements on imported timber products in major consumer countries. As a key country in supplying tropical hardwood, Myanmar's potential to participate in expanding regulated markets rests on its capacity to hold accountability for the legal origin of timber products...

Groundwater offers smallholder farmers in the lowlands of Lao PDR opportunities to diversify cropping beyond wet season paddy and thus enhance their livelihoods while reducing climate risks. This chapter focuses on evaluating existing and specifically developed groundwater irrigation options on the Vientiane Plain, and framing the findings around...

Forests are an important natural resource and are instrumental in sustaining environmental sustainability. Burning biomass in forests results in greenhouse gas emissions, many of which are longlived. Precise and consistent broad-scale monitoring of fire intensity is a valuable tool for analyzing climate and ecological changes related to fire...

This technical report elaborates on the methodology and results from the case study conducted in Case Study: Phoukhoun River Basin Pilot, Lao PDR. These guidelines will help stakeholders to conduct landslide vulnerability and risk assessments by integrating climate change projections. The technical report should be read along with the related...

This technical report showcases the case study that was conducted as part of the ASEAN Project on Disaster Risk Reduction by Integrating Climate Change Projection into Landslide Risk Assessment (ASEAN DRR-CCA). Its main purpose is to showcase the application of the methodologies described in the guidelines developed as part of this project. The...

The Himalaya and Hindu Kush Region (HKH) is one of the world's most fragile ecosystems in terms of climate change and its impacts, such as, slow- and fast-onset disasters. Traditionally, nature and human beings have co-existed in this area with indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) systems and practices being used in different ways, such as for...

Understanding Myanmar’s solid waste systems presents a challenge for anyone working in the sector. While waste collection and disposal challenges faced by Myanmar’s cities and towns share similarities, strategies to overcome them evolve locally and are often not well-communicated between different local government bodies. Data on the country’s...