Lao PDR: Governance Issues in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Abstract

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) defines governance as the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development.1 The pillars of the ADB’s policy on governance are presented in Table 1. The concept of governance is concerned with the management of the development process, involving both the public and private sectors. It covers the functioning and capability of the public sector, including the rules and institutions that create the framework for the conduct of both public and private business, and regulatory frameworks. There is an extensive literature on governance in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and this case study highlights a few key issues which affect the agriculture and natural resources (ANR) sector’s performance.