Climate Change

Since 2018, the UN Development Program has regarded Laos as being in the top 50 countries vulnerable to climate change. In 2021, the government of Laos set a target for the country to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This demonstrates a growing awareness of climate change both inside and outside Laos on the part of authorities and the population. Moreover, while Laos is not a large contributor to climate change, it will be severely impacted by it. This is particularly obvious, and important, when we look at agriculture. As an agrarian society, much of the population remains dependent on farming, and their livelihoods are particularly vulnerable to events such as changing weather patterns and extreme weather events. This chapter demonstrates how climate change has become part of the policy agenda increasingly and quickly. It is noted what climate changes mean particularly for agriculture and the steps taken to adapt to their effects. The chapter finishes with a discussion of future priorities and directions for research into climate change in Laos.