On 25 April 2025, the inception workshop for the Pilot Project on Integrated Straw Management was held in Savannakhet, Lao PDR.  

     
Dr. Khoune Sakbouavong, President of Savannakhet University, Mr. Phonvilay Luangkhamhan, Deputy Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR, and Ms. Patricia Wong Bi Yi, Programme Officer of the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM); delivered opening remarks at the inception workshop. They emphasized the significance of the pilot project in showcasing viable mechanization solutions to address straw burning in Lao PDR and the region and highlighted the importance of local stakeholder engagement to realize this project.

CSAM’s broader regional initiative on integrated straw management and outcomes of other pilot sites were presented to facilitate knowledge sharing of best practices related to crop residue management. The project coordinating team also introduced details of the pilot project to seek feedback from relevant stakeholders and ensure that expectations of all stakeholders were aligned.

As part of the inception workshop, participants visited the pilot site at Khangposee Village. During discussions, farmers from the pilot site shared that the key reasons for straw burning are to get rid of pests and diseases, high costs and lack of labor to collect, transport and store straw. The farmers expect to be able to use relevant agricultural machinery to facilitate straw collection for fertilizer and fodder and learn sustainable agricultural practices of converting straw into fertilizer and utilizing straw for mushroom production. Participants at the workshop highlighted that sustainability needs to be an integral part of the project to ensure that farmers from the pilot site can operate and maintain the relevant agricultural machinery and to continue the sustainable agricultural practices beyond the project’s timeframe.  

     
CSAM’s regional initiative on integrated straw management started in 2018 to address the commonly shared issue of straw burning in the region via mechanization solutions. This regional initiative includes research and pilot projects in China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal and Viet Nam, and was recognized by the United Nations South-South Cooperation Office as one of the best practices in South-South and triangular cooperation in 2022.

This regional initiative was also presented at the Interministerial Workshop for Promoting Capacity Building to Address Air Pollution through Regional Cooperation in Vientiane on 28 and 29 April 2025. The interministerial workshop was opened by Mr. Lienxay Bounmavivanh, Director General of the Natural Resources and Environment Research Institute, Mr. Nguyen Minh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Domestic Waste Management Division, Pollution Control Department at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Mr. Tae Hyung Kim, Chief of the ICT and Development Section at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

At the interministerial workshop, participants from Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia and Thailand, presented on their progress and challenges in combating air pollution. Transboundary cooperation and initiatives were emphasized as important aspects for countries in ASEAN to jointly tackle the issue of air pollution. Participants also noted the need for cross-sectoral involvement in enacting policies and guidelines related to air quality monitoring as air pollution is a byproduct of activities across various sectors such as agriculture, transport and energy.