Wild Tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park, India_© Suyash Keshari / WWF-Australia

Signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Environment in March 2026, the Action Plan will be implemented under the leadership of the Department of Forestry and provides a long-term framework to guide coordinated action across priority tiger landscapes in Laos.

From Protection to Recovery

The NTRAP notes that no verified wild tiger records have been documented in the Lao PDR since 2013, when the country’s last confirmed record was reported from Nam Et-Phou Louey. In response, the revised plan marks a clear shift – from trying to protect a remaining population to restoring the habitat, prey, protection systems and cooperation needed to support future natural return. It prioritizes landscape restoration, prey recovery, and stronger transboundary collaboration, particularly with Thailand.

Why the Action Plan Matter

The NTRAP matters not only because it sets a national direction for tiger recovery, but also because it was developed through a broad and carefully structured process. The plan was shaped through consultation, technical review, and validation involving government agencies, provincial authorities, protected area management divisions, academic institutions and conservation organizations.

Wild Tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park, India_© Suyash Keshari / WWF

The approval of the NTRAP comes at a critical time, bringing together national ownership, technical guidance and a practical framework for long-term implementation. WWF-Laos provided key technical and financial support throughout this process.

The revised NTRAP also builds on lessons from the first National Tiger Action Plan. While Lao PDR has made progress over the past decade in legal reform, protected area management, SMART patrolling, and community-based conservation, significant challenges remain. Poaching and snaring continue to threaten wildlife, prey populations have declined, habitat fragmentation has increased in some landscapes, and enforcement both within and beyond protected areas continues to face capacity and implementation gaps. The new plan responds to these lessons with a stronger recovery focus, clearer priorities, and greater emphasis on implementation, financing, coordination, and long-term technical support.

“Aligned with the Global Tiger Recovery Programme, the NTRAP reflects the Lao PDR’s renewed commitment as a tiger range country to restoring connected and ecologically functional tiger landscapes,” said Mr. Somvang Phimmavong, Director General of the Department of Forestry. “Through this Action Plan, the Government of the Lao PDR is setting a national direction for tiger recovery and strengthening the basis for coordinated action across priority landscapes.”

KPL