Environment
Laos
Climate
tropical monsoon; wet season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Land use
other
33.3% (2023 est.)
forest
56.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
9.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 5.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 2.9% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
38.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
2.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
351,900 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
15.1% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; reduction in biodiversity; water contamination; restricted access to clean water
Total water withdrawal
municipal
130 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
170 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural
7.05 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
23.412 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke
19.652 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
3.76 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
20.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
333.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements