Project Summary 

This project seeks to address the critical need for risk data to inform integrated water resources management and, in so doing, enable increased investment in risk reduction measures in Lao PDR and Cambodia. There is a strong connection between the upstream and downstream impacts associated with floods and water availability in the transboundary region. As such, the project tackles these problems while acknowledging the transboundary nature of the challenge and making adjustments as necessary to tailor for the variances of each country. Taking a barrier-removal approach, the project will address gaps in data collection, management and analysis, enhance institutional and technical capacity at the subnational level for integrated climate and flood risk management, enhance the availability of resources for investment in water-related risk reduction, and aid the flow of risk knowledge and coordination across borders. 

The project will also contribute to improved hydrological and climate risk modelling and information systems, which will, in turn, inform flood management and adaptation planning and enhance the capacity of national and provincial decision-makers and local stakeholders through the use of the improved information system. 

The project applies a human rights-based approach to address development challenges associated with disasters and enhance resilience to increasing climate risks through improved policy, strengthened capacity, and risk information. This approach fosters resilient and sustainable socio-economic development and contributes to the achievement of the SDGs. 

Background 

 The Mekong River is a defining landscape feature as 60% of its length runs through Lao PDR. There is seasonal flooding every year in the central and southern parts of the country. Flooding is a major cause of disasters in the country – both in terms of frequency and intensity as well as impacts. In 2018, Lao PDR saw the largest floods it has seen in a decade, with Tropical Storm Son-Tihn on July 18-19, followed by flash flooding on July 23-24 caused by a breach in the Xepien-Xenamnoy saddle hydropower dam. This dam breach affected nearly 7,000 people downstream and displaced more than 1,000. In August of the same year, Tropical Storm Bebinca hit and caused further flooding with widespread damage, destroying livelihoods, disrupting economic activity and social conditions and affecting 17 provinces as well as the capital. The southern provinces of Khammuone, Champasak, and Saravane, with a combined population of over 1 million, were the hardest hit during the 2018 flooding events. 

 From January to August 2019, multiple flooding disasters occurred again across the country, affecting 10 provinces. As per available estimates from NDMO on 8 Sept 2019, a total of 396,806 persons were affected by floods, with an estimated capital exposure of about USD 753.4 million. According to assessments from UNITAR-UNOSAT, within 60,000 sq. km. of southern Lao PDR, about 1,000 sq. km. was flooded – an area home to about 1,606,500 people. Recent climate projections for Lao PDR show increasing temperatures, higher intensity of rainfall and longer dry periods which can give rise to more severe droughts and flooding. Early warning systems and data management are limited, and climate risks are not well integrated into rural and agricultural development policies. Persistence of monoculture, lack of livelihood diversity, low levels of disaster preparedness, and limited infrastructure mean that resilience to the risks posed by this climate change at the community level remains low. 

Project Expected Outcomes:  

Three outcomes of the project include:  

• Inclusive assessment of water-related climate risks completed in the priority river basins. 
• Enabling environment for gender-responsive climate risk-informed integrated water resources management developed. 
• Funding proposal for priority risk reduction measures developed. 

Results and Achievements to Date: 

• To safeguard gender equality, inclusivity, transparency and accountability, the project reached out to over 900 people in over 20 villages and conducted extensive consultations with government and community stakeholders, developed and adopted 1) the Stocktaking Report, 2) the Indigenous People’s Planning Framework (IPPF), and 3) the Gender Action Plan and Stakeholder Engagement Plan.  
• The government has improved its water and disaster data management through the project's support in enhancing two national databases, Lao Water Information System (LaoWIS) and Lao Disaster Information System (LaoDi), focusing on advancing usability, data input functionality, and linkage between the two databases.  
• The capacity of 96 national and subnational government officials has been developed through training on using LaoWIS and LaoDI, while 136 national and subnational government officials developed skills to apply GIS for hydrological modelling. 
• The project contributed to the development of the national guidelines on the Water and Water Resource Protection Zone (WPZ) to improve water resource conservation, disaster risk management, and sustainable and safe consumption of water. UNDP, through the project, supported the establishment of the country’s first pilot WPZ in Sanasomboune, Champasack province.  
• The short/medium-term capacity development plan was developed based on the findings from the analysis of technical, institutional and financial capacity gaps and priority needs to address increasing flood risks in 8 villages in Champasack and Khammoune provinces. The capacity gap at the Provincial and District levels was deemed most critical and the project provided training on integrated water resource management and community-based DRR for the subnational level officials.  
• The needs and gaps of the communities were analysed through a participatory problem analysis activity involving 297 participants. Their most urgent need to enhance disaster preparedness is being addressed through the provision of 15 rescue boats, 9 water tanks and pumps, and 4 water filters before the rainy season in 2024. 

GESI (Gender Equality & Social Inclusion) 

Across the Mekong sub-region, women, the elderly, people with disability or who belong to an ethnic minority – are disproportionately affected by major social and environmental changes, including those associated with the private sector of water. Although governments in the region and regional organisations have increasingly made legislative and policy commitments to gender equality and integrated gender into their plans and strategies, however, in practice, their vision remains unrealised due to deep-seated social and gender norms that disadvantage women. 

This project contributes to gender equality and women’s empowerment in the implementation of all activities and challenges existing structural barriers. The project will develop a gender action plan, stakeholder engagement plan, and regional indigenous peoples' planning framework during the first year. All policy, institutional, legislative, and coordination measures integrate gender equality considerations and advance the active participation and engagement of women and their representative entities. Risk management and resilience-building interventions address gendered dimensions of resilience-building and facilitate an active decision-making role for women in their communities. 

Materials 

Project Document 

Project Details:  

• Status: Ongoing 
• Start Date: September 2021 
• End Date: September 2025 
• Focus area: Water Resource Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation   
• Project Office: Department of Water Resources (DWR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) 
• Donor: Government of the Republic of Korea 
• Implementing Partner in Lao PDR: Department of Water Resources (DWR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) 
• Total project budget: USD 4,286,730.85 
• Budget for Lao PDR: USD 1,593,025.92 

Contacts:  

Aksonethip Somvorachit  

Communications Analyst, UNDP in Lao PDR  

aksonethip.somvorachit@undp.org   

+856 21 267777  

Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov  

Team Leader  

Natural Resources Management, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Unit  

UNDP in Lao PDR  

abduvakkos.abdurahmanov@undp.org    

+856 21 267777