The project site encompasses the Xe Champhone-Xe Xangxoy floodplains in Savannakhet Province, which includes the core zone of Lao PDR’s largest Ramsar site. This region is crucial for the critically endangered Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), as it contains some of the most important nesting sites for this globally significant population.

Once found throughout Southeast Asia and Borneo, the Siamese Crocodile has faced a dramatic decline over the past 50 years, with fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining in the wild. Today, the species is limited to scattered remnant populations, many of which consist of only a small number of individuals. Among these, only a few populations are considered reproductively viable, primarily located in Laos, Cambodia, and Kalimantan (Indonesia).

The recovery of the wild Siamese Crocodile population in Laos has been prioritized by the IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts in this vital habitat.

The project aims to engage communities on the Xe Champhone-Xe Xangxoy floodplain of Savannakhet Province to protect and manage the habitat as well as identify crocodile nests and to conduct head starting.