No specific air pollution control law provides a legal framework for AQ management in the country. Article 17 of the Lao PDR’s Constitution (1991) has a provision for environmental protection. Article 17 provides that “all organizations and citizens must protect the environment and the natural resources: land, underground, forests, fauna, water sources, and the atmosphere.”
In addition to the Constitution, the Environmental Protection Law (EPL) (1999) is the main environmental legislation relevant to the Lao PDR at the national level. The EPL mandates the Science Technology and Environment Agency at the Prime Minister’s office as the main government agency responsible for environmental protection.