Green forest fire notification in Laos

Supply-chain Risk Briefing - Laos Forest Fires

1) Summary Forest fires in Laos that have persisted for 10 days from April 1st have been assessed as moderate risk. Due to dry season characteristics, there are concerns about potential fire spread and logistics impacts on neighboring countries from smoke and haze.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Agricultural production: Potential damage and quality degradation in production areas of Laos' major export products including rice, coffee, and rubber
• Timber and forest products: Direct impact on timber supply chains from forest fires, risk of regional forestry operation shutdowns
• Mekong River logistics: Potential delays in Mekong River shipping and cross-border land transport due to smoke and air quality deterioration
• Southeast Asian regional spread: Concerns about widespread logistics network disruption if dry season fires spread to neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam

3) Watch points

• Fire suppression status and potential further spread, particularly monitoring spread to major agricultural and industrial areas
• Monitoring cross-border transport route operational status based on Mekong River water level changes and air quality index trends
• Assessment of logistics hub operational normalization in neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam, and current status of alternative route utilization