Community action/Laos

Deforestation in Laos is a major environmental concern, with Laos losing forest area to legal and illegal logging.

The Mekong or Mekong River (UK: mee-KONG, US: may-KAWNG) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and a drainage area of 795,000 km² (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km³ (114 cu mi) of water annually. From its headwaters in the Tibetan Plateau, the river runs through Southwest China (where it is officially called the Lancang River), Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls in the Mekong make navigation difficult, though the river remains a major trade route between Tibet and Southeast Asia. The construction of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong in the 2000s through the 2020s has caused serious problems for the river's ecosystem, including the exacerbation of drought.

Drought linked to a changing climate and dozens of hydroelectric dams are damaging the Mekong ecosystem. When drought ends and the inevitable floods begin, the effects of Mekong dams on flood pulse dynamics over the entire Lower Mekong are poorly understood.

Sewage treatment is rudimentary in towns and urban areas throughout much of the Mekong's length, such as Vientiane in Laos. Water pollution impacts the river's ecological integrity as a result.

Much of the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic present on earth makes its way to the oceans. Ninety percent of plastic in the oceans is flushed there by just 10 rivers. The Mekong is one of them.

A growing number of academics, NGOs, and scientists have urged the international community and the Mekong River Commission to reduce the use of hydropower, giving concerns of long-term sustainability. Some of them have urged an immediate moratorium on new construction of hydropower projects and a shift to solar and other forms of renewable energy, which are becoming more competitive and faster to install.

Sand mining of the Mekong River in the countries Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam has led to various environmental impacts on both areas local and downstream to these operations due to the disturbance of the river's natural flow. These impacts include river embankment instability, reduced supply of vital floodwater and sediments to floodplains, increased salinity levels and both the disturbance and displacement of various species.

Mining in "Karen and Shan states, where tin and rare-earth mining" is causing mounting pollution (as of 2025) to the Mekong basin.

The continual development of Hydropower has effects such as flood control, irrigation, and river navigation. The development of Hydropower plants can affect the 3 million Laotians relying on the Mekong for livelihood and food security. With dams blocking the migration of fish, some communities will experience a loss of fish population. Over some years, the development of hydropower dams have caused a 10–20% population loss while during a period of 2001–2003, the Thai-Lao border showcased a 50% catch decrease, affecting local communities and their livelihood.

The rural communities of a riparian country like Laos rely heavily on fishing for food security. Hydropower development affecting the migration of fish and productivity of fisheries are a great threat to food security. Local communities are not the only ones impacted, a study done by the Mekong River Commission showcased, "Fisheries do not only benefit the people living next to the river or the floodplains, but all of the Lower Mekong Basin countries." Hydropower development indirectly impacts human development on many scales.

Transportation in Laos consists of road, rail, air, and inland water networks.

Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is a country in Mainland Southeast Asia, and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Laos has a population of more than 6 million, and its capital and most populous city is Vientiane. It has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the town of Luang Prabang, the temple complex of Vat Phou, and the Plain of Jars. The 2021 completion of the Boten–Vientiane railway, Laotian section of the Laos–China Railway (LCR), connects Vientiane to Kunming.

The kingdom of Lan Xang existed in what later is Laos from the 13th to 18th centuries and was a hub for overland trade through its location. In 1707, it split into three kingdoms: Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak. In 1893, these kingdoms were unified under French protection as part of French Indochina. Laos was under Japanese administration during World War II, gaining independence in 1945 before returning to French administration until achieving autonomy in 1949. It regained full independence in 1953 as the Kingdom of Laos, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. A civil war from 1959 to 1975 saw the communist Pathet Lao, supported by China, North Vietnam, and the Soviet Union, oppose the Royal Lao Armed Forces, backed by the United States. It ended with the establishment of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) in 1975 that aligned with the Soviet Union until the latter's dissolution in 1991. Laos participates in the Greater Mekong Subregion economic cooperation programme, and is a member of ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, East Asia Summit, La Francophonie, and the World Trade Organization.