Status and Mandate

    The department of environment, which has its abbreviation as “DoE” is included in the organizational framework of the Water Resources and Environment Administration (WREA) of the Prime Minister’s Office; it has mandates as secretariat of the WREA on the management and monitoring of environment; promoting and raising public awareness on the environment protection through out the country to ensure sustainable development.

    Duties

• To develop and propose draft strategy, action plan, legislation, guidelines, standards related to environment to higher authority for approval, which should be based on and to elaborate the policy direction and socio- economic development plan in each period;
• To organize the dissemination of the strategies, legislation, technical guidelines and standards after their approvals;
• To monitor, inspect, evaluate and report the results of the implementation of strategies, legislation, technical guidelines and standards, and to propose amendments to those documents when there are shortcomings, or not consistent with the practical situations of the socio-economic development in each period;
• To study and propose special treatments or use measures against any individual or organization that has outstanding achievement or violation of the law and regulations related to the protection of the environment and natural resources;
• To develop budget plan and personnel plan, and to mange, monitor, evaluate the implementation of the plans and to report the progresses in each period;
• To examine and propose higher authority to issue or remove licenses of individuals or entities who are engaging in provisions of services on environment and social assessment;
• To collect charge and service fee on the establishment of environmental service companies in accordance with regulations;
• To manage, allocate, replace and use technical personnel within the department in accordance with their qualifications and skills;
• To strengthen organizational framework, develop human resource development plan in the environmental area, both at central and local levels;
• To manage and use of public assets, equipment, vehicles that allocated by the authority with high responsibility and for the benefits of the collective;
• To develop-train and upgrade environment personnel within environment sector and other sectors, both at central and local levels;
• To act as focal point with other sectors and local administrations in the implementation of activities related to environment management and monitoring through out the country;
• To review and certify the implementation of national environmental standards of investment projects;
• To receive and to coordinate with concerned sectors in dealing with petition, claim of the public or other sectors related to environmental matters;
• To incorporate environment education and awareness into formal and non-formal educations;
• To promote the participation of the Public, private sectors and social organizations in environmental protection and conservation of natural resources;
• To organize the publication, summarize and evaluate data base related to the environment and natural resources to support the socio-economic development plan;
• To manage, disseminate, provide service on, monitor, collect, exchange, analysis and summarize date and information related to the environment and natural resources;
• To develop environment state report and make evaluation report on the implementation of environmental activities through out the country;
• To follow up, summarize and short out best practice from the regional and global levels on the management and protection of the environment and than to disseminate to the public;
• To act as focal point in order to study and propose actions to implement the obligations under Conventions, treaties, and agreements related to the environment, which Lao PDR is a party to, including cooperation projects in the environmental area, and to make recommendations to become a party to new environment Conventions, treaties and agreements;
• To act as coordinator and to study the work that related to the climate change with the establishment of a Climate Change Office;
• To act as secretariat to the National Environment Committee and the Climate Change Steering Committee;
• To perform other duties as assigned by the President of WREA and the Chairman of the National Environment Committee.

      Scope of Rights

• To propose the establishment, abolition, adjustment organizational framework, and to appoint, remove, reward, promote or remove, use measure and other policy treatment to personnel at all levels who are under its responsibilities in according to the regulations;
• To issue guidelines, notification, order, internal regulations, and to convene internal meetings within the department;
• To participate in meetings, seminars, training workshops and study visits within the country and overseas, to negotiate and sign agreements, protocols, MOUs with other countries and international organizations, and to provide opinions related to environmental matters as assigned by the President of WREA;
• To exercise other rights as assigned by the President of WREA, the Chairman of the NEC and the Chairman of the Climate Change Steering Committee.