(VientianeTimes) The government is increasing its role in forestry management to protect the environment and minimise the impact of climate change.

The national environment management committee from the National Water Resource and Environment Authority, the ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, and Public Works and Transport gathered yesterday in Vientiane to discuss the Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) initiative.

“As we know, global warming has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters and a higher rate of forest loss in hot climates,” Deputy Prime Minister Asang Laoly said at the meeting.

Each year, Laos experiences the economic and environmental impacts of changing weather patterns – including droughts, floods, fires, and storms.

Solving the problems created by climate change will require coordination and cooperation from all sectors of the government and the public to achieve a balance between environmental protection and socio-economic development, Mr Asang said.

Global warming is one of the primary causes of climate change, which negatively affects agriculture, Mr Asang said.

Industrialised countries are currently seeking ways to solve the problem, he explained.

Each year forested areas around the world decrease in size by about 14 million hectares, resulting in a 20 percent rise in total carbon emissions.

In Laos, expanding land use, logging, and forest degradation account for 70 percent of all emissions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The increased use of vehicles by the public works and transport sector has both positive and negative effects.

On the one hand, vehicles are used to improve the nation's economic situation – through the transport of goods - and to develop communication infrastructure.

Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of frequent accidents and higher fuel consumption, which is a major cause of pollution that damages people's health and the environment, Mr Asang said.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has set a goal to reduce vehicle-related deaths to about four people per 10,000 vehicles by 2015.

The government also has an initiative aimed at encouraging more cycling and walking in towns, and the use of electric cars.

Laos receives funding from several countries to implement the REDD project, including the governments of Japan and Germany.

The project's goal is to protect forests by reducing logging, increasing the amount of forested land that is set aside for sustainable use while, at the same time, improving local people's living standards.

REDD is a controversial new issue in the climate change debate because a number of entrepreneurs are looking to profit from an increased trade in carbon.