United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Lao PDR

		See also:
		Proposed AD Programme Modules (new)
		On-going Projects A balanced approach to opium elimination in Lao PDR: Programme Facilitation Unit (LAO/F13) Social and economic rehabilitation of former opium poppy growing communities in Oudomxay Province (LAO/I28) Houaphan alternative development programme module - HADP (LAO/H98) Phongsaly Alternative Development Fund - PADF (LAO/I32)

Alternative Development Programme Summary

Opium production in the Lao PDR has declined significantly in the past 10 years. However, the opium survey in 2009 revealed that some opium poppy cultivation still existed in the northern provinces including Oudomxay, Phongsaly, Houaphanh, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang and Xieng Khouang.

The total opium production in the country has increased slightly in the past two years as a large number of ethnic highland communities still lack alternative livelihood development and suffer from severe poverty and food security problems. The Government of Lao PDR has incorporated in the current national master plan as a priority need to provide socio-economic development and alternative livelihood programmes to the opium growing farmers and the former opium growing farmers in order to sustain opium elimination and to prevent re-cultivation of opium poppy in those upland communities. The alternative development programme in Lao PDR addresses the special and specific needs of the target communities and contributes to the overall national poverty reduction programmes of the country. These programmes also contribute to the overall Millennium Development Goals.

(Helicopter flight path during the annual Opium Survey. Click image to view in full size.)