Gender-sensitive Environment Protection The Lao People#s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has made impressive economic growth and poverty reduction over the last decade. However, the country still faces some exceptional challenges in reducing poverty and providing equitable development for its approximately 6.77 million citizens.  The challenges include: transforming the impressive economic growth into sustainable development; turningnatural capital into capital and market liberation for equitable growth and the development that is inclusive andequitable.
Lao PDRis building its development progress on the opportunities provided by its rich natural resources i.e. forests, fisheries, biodiversity, minerals and energy (in the form of coal, petroleum, gas and hydropower). However, it is also recognised that there are different development pathways as there is a view that the current resource-extractive model of economic development is unsustainable, and that risk-bearing and benefit-sharing is inequitable.
In term of Foreign Direct Investment, the energy sector in Laos, which dominated largely by hydropower, has received most of the investment amounting to US$5.082 billion from 2006 to 2011, followed by mining sector (US$2.598 billion), agriculture (US$ 1.847 billion), service industry (US$ 1.526 billion) and manufacturing (US$ 1.071 billion).
Mining  deals  represent  21%  of  all investment  projects  but an astonishing 50% of the total area  under  investment,  making it the largest subsector. Mining exploration projects cover vast expanses of land (1,026,873ha), almost equal to all other areas under concession or lease combined. Mining  is  the  largest  subsector  in  terms  of  both  area  and  number of projects (21% of allprojects, 50% of total area). It is estimated that the sector could give direct employment at about 20000 with indirect employment estimated as being between 30000 and 40000. So far, the sector has provided employment of 8000 workers, representing 0.28% of total work force in the economy. Women account for about 10% of the workforce due to limited knowledge and training in mining.
More local people especially women and children have been employed in artisanal mining. It is estimated that artisanal mining employs between 15,000 and 50,000 people with women making up approximately 75 percent of those involved. But it poses serious threats to the health of women and children who work in the artisanal mining.
Lao PDR has massive exploitable hydropower potential that can be sold to theregion that is looking to imported energy to power their economies. Currently there are 66 hydropower projects (of which nine are on the Mekong mainstream) under further study or construction and the Government of Laos expects three to four hydropower projects tobe developed each year until 2020.  However, the #use# of water through hydropower does unavoidably modify the nature of water resources and there are trade-offs. By changing natural flow regimes food security is affected and fisheries can be wiped out, the resultant loss of nutrients and changed sedimentation has a negative impact on the livelihoods of river dependent communities.
There are gendered impacts of water resources policies and decisions. Too often women are not actively consulted on the impacts of a proposed hydropower project and their views are not incorporated into the design and implementation by the developers. The hydropower privatesector developers need encouragement and guidance to incorporate meaningful gender impact assessments into projects in order to ensure that women and girls do not suffer disproportionate negative impacts and derive optimal benefits.
Despite the fact that women aswell as men consume, produce and use natural resources for their livelihoods, women have limited control and ownership over resources. Because men and women are likely to have different roles in the family, community, and work force, they are likely to have different personal priorities when it comes to environmental protection at the local and community level. Men and women are also likely to have different interactions with the environment, which present each gender with different opportunities to protect it. It is likely that men and women adopt different approaches and are the source of different types of knowledge regarding environmental protection. The roles and needs/interests of both men and women must be taken into account for effective programme design in initiatives forenvironmental sustainability
It is concluded that hearing women#s voice-practical and strategic interests is central to gender mainstreaming. Risk assessment needs to identify gender costs and potential benefits in order to be comprehensive. Better project planning, with design and economic and social management plans, is more likely to include men/women interests to reap tangible benefits and have a better chance of positive communication relation. The core finding of the project which was discussed across all the consultations and workshops in the country is to use existing processes for Economic and Social impact assessment and management to improve gender outcomes
The aim of this project is to empower women, create an enabling environment for them to access opportunity for better livelihood and contributing to gender equality for poverty reduction. The target groups are women leaders potential candidates, village, district and provincial authorities; villagers; Lao Women#s Union; Departments of Public Administration, Mass Media, Ministry of Energy and Mining, and Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment.
Overall objective is to empower women by creating an enabling environment for them to access local politics and decision-making power thereby contributing to gender equality and poverty reduction. The specific objectives are:
(1) To create awareness of gender issues and women in order to sensitise the targeted groups onthe need for women to participate in mining and hydropower planning process in communities for the better livelihood.
(2) Support women led livelihood microfinance for the poorest of the poor women at mining sites for them to access to productive microfinance products
(3) To learn to use and adapt the existing tools for community mobilisation in gender impact assessment in mining and hydropower and to facilitate networking and information sharing among stakeholders.