On 18 to 19 November, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) held a meeting in Luang Prabang, Laos, with local and French partners to discuss ecosystem sustainability and the One Health approach. The event featured discussions on key issues such as land use, water resources, and biodiversity, with participants including scientists, officials, and donors.
New research and training center for Southeast Asian professionals and students specialized in food safety issues and water-related health risks, the SMART observatory (Sustainable Mountain Agroecosystems Research and Training station) in Ban Lak Sip has been inaugurated by local authorities, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, French Ambassador to Laos and IRD Representative in Laos.
Siv-Leng Chhuor described the SMART observatory “as a symbol of cooperation, and shared knowledge, bridging generations in the pursuit of a sustainable future.”
The station will contribute to the devise of environmentally and socially sustainable development solutions in isolated mountainous areas of northern Laos, as a continuation of M-TROPICS observatory.
As part of the institute’s 80th anniversary celebration, a cocktail reception has been held at the French Institute in Luang Prabang, with opening speeches by the French Ambassador to Laos, the Director of the French Institute in Luang Prabang and IRD representative in Laos.
The evening featured photo exhibitions and scientific short film screenings on health anthropology, waste management on the scale of the Vientiane landfill and exposure of waste pickers to health risks.
