Environmental Impacts of Trade Liberalization in the Hydropower, Mining and Construction Material Sectors of Lao PDR

This research paper examines the environmental implications of rapid Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) growth in Lao PDR's hydropower, mining, and construction material sectors, highlighting the gap between the scale of investment and the government's capacity to regulate it.

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the mining, hydropower, and construction materials sectors of Lao PDR more than doubled between 2004 and 2006, a trend expected to persist for the following decade.
• The hydropower, mining, and construction materials sectors are characterized as having large "ecological footprints" due to their heavy reliance on natural resources. The severity of their environmental impacts depends on the policy and regulatory frameworks governing trade.
• While the Government of Lao PDR is attempting to review FDI policies to secure economic, social, and environmental benefits, policy-makers are struggling to keep pace with the rapid scale of economic growth and investment.

APA

Callander,, T. (2008). Environmental Impacts of Trade Liberalization in the Hydropower, Mining and Construction Material Sectors of Lao PDR. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization-hydropower-mining-and-construction

Chicago

Callander,, Tom. Environmental Impacts of Trade Liberalization in the Hydropower, Mining and Construction Material Sectors of Lao PDR. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization-hydropower-mining-and-construction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Callander, |first1=Tom |title=Environmental Impacts of Trade Liberalization in the Hydropower, Mining and Construction Material Sectors of Lao PDR |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=23 January 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization-hydropower-mining-and-construction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{callander2008environmental, author = {Callander,, Tom}, title = {{Environmental Impacts of Trade Liberalization in the Hydropower, Mining and Construction Material Sectors of Lao PDR}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/environmental-impacts-trade-liberalization-hydropower-mining-and-construction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }