This project was an initiative aimed at strengthening forest landscape governance in the Mekong region, where an estimated 85 million people depend on forests for their livelihoods. The project sought to address pressing challenges such as deforestation, forest degradation, rural poverty and biodiversity loss, which are compounded by weak governance structures. Promoting inclusivity and effective participation of non-state actors (NSAs) like civil society was central to ensuring that forest governance processes were transparent, accountable, and participatory.

The project leveraged existing frameworks such as the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade - Voluntary Partnership Agreements (FLEGT-VPA) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). It focused on empowering NSAs to engage in multi-stakeholder dialogues, present their concerns to policymakers, and organize themselves to strengthen their negotiating positions. Capacity-building efforts included improving access to forest data, enhancing participatory processes, and fostering collaboration between state and private actors.

Spanning three transboundary landscapes across five countries—Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam—the project addressed forest governance challenges at regional, national and landscape levels. These landscapes are among the most biodiverse in the region and provide critical ecosystem services.