Progress of Water Environment
Governance in the Lao PDR –National Strategy and Adaptation
Program of Action to Climate
ChangeSouphasay Komany
Water Resources and Environment Agency
Lao PDR

1

General Situation• Generally, impacts of climate change causes the more
frequently flood and drought, including flash flood, insome prone areas of the country:– According to national statistics on disasters that haveoccurred over the last three decades, it has been observedthat both the severity and frequency of floods anddroughts have increased;– Floods and droughts have significant impacts onagriculture, forestry, water resources, health and economic
growth, and therefore on the livelihood of the Lao people.
2

General Situation• According to data and statistics from the Departmentof Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH):– From 1995 – 2005 drought conditions were characterizedby higher and irregular increases in temperature.
– In particular, the high temperatures experienced in 1996
triggered the occurrence of drought in specific areas of thecountry.
– In 1998, a drought was experienced and during the dry
season the temperature was abnormally high.
3General Situation– In 2003, a severe drought occurred which could not be
attributed in El Niño, but rather was thought to be attributed tothe impacts of climate change in the region as well as the world.
– Consequently, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds dried up at afaster rate than normal.
– In addition to the severe droughts that occurred on these threeoccasions, large floods were also experienced that covered vast
areas of the central and southern parts of the country.
– There were also flash floods in the northern mountainous areas
and eastern region in 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2005.

4

General Situation• Recent studies in 2008 have shown that:– Annual precipitation for the Mekong Basin as a whole by 2030
will increase by13.5% from the historical average of 1,509 mm
to 1,712 mm;– The greatest changes are projected for the wet season monthsof May to September, then the 2030 median shows increased
monthly precipitations ranging from 16 mm in May to 56 mm in
September;– The range in modeled precipitation is large for the wet season
months, with decreases of up to 27% in some months orincreased as large as 88% in others.
5General Situation– The projected changes in dry season precipitation are muchsmaller, but the median project indicates small decreases (<3mm) in mean monthly precipitation in February, March andNovember;– No change in precipitation is projected for January andDecember, and a small increase of 2 mm or 3% is projected inApril;– The Drier extremes of the model projections indicate
precipitation decreasing in all months in the dry season, withdecreased of up to 25% from historic values;– Other projections indicate precipitation increases in dry monthsof up to 22%.
6

Challenges•

Number of research topics is limited and mostly done indirectly, regarding
scope and objectives of the “Strategy on Climate Change of the Lao PDR,
March 2010” and the “National Adaptation Programme of Action toClimate Change, April 2009”. However, the impact is possible existed.

•Limited data monitoring on climate change parameters in water bodies.

•

Limited monitoring facilities;•Flood can cause water pollution; drought can cause high residue intensity
in water bodies;•Increased risk in flood and drought prone areas in the middle andsouthern parts of the countries;•Steeply mountains areas in the northern part and central‐eastern andsouth‐eastern valleys of the country, where prone to flash flood;7

Institutional Arrangement•National Steering Committee for Climate Change, chaired by Deputy PrimeMinister, Chairman of National Environment Committee;•National Disaster Management Committee, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister,Minister for National Defense;•Water Resources and Environment Administration takes the leading role on risk
management from climate change, including strategic responding and early
warning actions;•The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfares takes the leading role on climatechange impact recovery and relief;•Disaster Management Offices at provincial and district levels;•Pilot River Basin Committees: Nam Ngum RBC and Nam Theun Nam Kading RBC.

8

Policy Implication•

Relevant Strategies:– National Environmental Strategy;– Forestry Strategy;– Agriculture Strategy;– Draft Strategy for Water Resources Management;– National Disaster Prevention Strategy;– National Environmental Standard: Noise, Air and Water• Ambient and Effluent Water Quality Standard– Etc.
9

Policy Implication• The National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA),April 2009, identifies sectors of priority forclimate change adaptation, namely:– Agriculture,– Forestry,– Water Resources, and– Public Health.
10Policy Implication• Some relevant cross‐sectoral priority adaptation actions:– Improve and construct crop and animal disease laboratories at
central and local levels;– Develop appropriate bank erosion protection systems for
agriculture land and flood prone areas;– Promote integrated pest management (IPM) and use herbal
medicines in pest management and livestock treatment;– Promote and establish tree nurseries to provide saplings toareas to high risk from flooding or drought;
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Policy Implication– Develop agro‐forestry systems for watershed protectionand erosion reduction in steep areas;– Mapping of flood prone areas;– Establish an early warning system for flood prone areas,
and improve and expand meteorology and hydrology
networks and weather monitoring systems;– Survey underground water sources in drought prone areas;– Study, design and build multi‐use reservoirs in droughtprone areas;
12Policy Implication– Improve systems for sustainable use of drinking water andsanitation with community participation in flood anddrought prone areas;– Improve and standardize the quality of drinking water;– Expand epidemic disease diagnostic laboratories atregional and provincial levels;– Develop a timely and accurate reporting system for
epidemic diseases;– Capacity building for concerned agencies and risky groups.
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Recorded floods and drought in 1965-1995 in Lao PDR
Year
1966
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1976
1978
1980
1981
1984
1985
1986
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1998
2000
2002

Natural disaster
Large flood
Flood
Flood
Flood
Large flood
Flood
Flood
Flood
Flash flood
Large flood
Flood
Flood
Flood
Flash flood
Flood and droughtFlood
Flood and drought
Flood and drought
Flood and drought
Flood and drought
Large flood

Estimated cost (US $) Region(s) affected
13,800,000 Central
2,830,000 Central
1,020,00 Central
30,000 N/A
3,573,000 Central
40,000 Southern
3,700,000 Northern
180,000 N/A
9,000,000 Central
5,700,000 Central
3,000,000 N/A
682,000 Oudomxay province
3,343000 N/A
1,000,000 Central
2,000,000 Central
100,000 Central C
3,650,000 entral/Southern
N/A Central/Southern
21,000,000 Central
21,150,000 Central/Southern
N/A Central/Southern
21,000,000 Central
3,500,000 Central/Southern
5,000,000 Central/Southern
3,500,000 North/Ctr./South

Source:Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic,1996
Preparation of flood loss prevention and management plan
Data collected by Department of Meteorology and Hydrology
National Sector Reviews 2004

14Damages caused by flood in Lao PDR 2000
Provinces

1. Phongsaly

Peopleaffected
670

2.

Flooded Ricefield (hectare)

Rice fielddamaged(hectare)

30

20960

350

3. Capital

10,3503,650

250

4. Bolikhamsay

19,400

3,710

1,290

5. Khammuan

125,360

23,64014,0006. Savannakhet

96,46023,64014,0007. Saravan

16,500

4,740

1,400

8. Champasack

117,940

22,73012,0609. Attapeu

12,080

1,930

1,070

Total

398,760

85,03044,440Source: Department of Irrigation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR

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Low land rice field damaged by flood in Lao PDR
No.

Province

Flooded area( ha)
2000
2001
20240
20

1999
Northern
1 Phongsaly
2 Luangnamtha
3 Oudomxay
4 Bokeo
5 Luangprabang
6 Huaphan
7 Sayyabouly
Central
8 Capital
9 Xiengkhuang
1011 Bolikhamxay
12 Khammouane
13 Savannakhet
14 Saysomboun special zone
Southern
15 Saravan
16 Sekong
17 Champasack
18 Attapeu
Total

02002
1,810
962
157
110
377
64140

10
230
4,965

8,350
395
160
70

1,290

4,530

24,151
5,080
50
1,100
8,370
4,440
1,153

350
250
4,000
2,460

4,340
3,935

20,193

1,790

1,575

1,400

995
1,365
8,900

2,060
1,070
12,900

5,493
57
761
5,644
7,040
5,156
8,103
222

1,790
22,223

7,432
449
16
34,064

Thank You

17