LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICPEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRACY UNITY PROSPERITY“Concluding Report”
On
JICA Region-Focused Training Course onFlood Hazard Mapping
JFY 2006

From 29th, October to 2nd, December 2006

Prepared bySangkhane THIANGTHAMMAVONGICHARM, Japan 29th November, 2006

Concluding Report on Flood Hazard Mapping Course, ICHARM, Japan, 29th, November, 2006, (Page1/10)

Table of Contents:
A. The role of flood hazard maps to mitigate flood damages inLao People’s Democratic RepublicThe flood status in my country
The outline of the present countermeasures for mitigating flood damages
Do you think that the Flood Hazard Map will be useful in your country?

B. The allocation of roles in making flood hazard map in Lao PDRWhich organization should hold the main responsibility for making a fundamental
map such as anticipated inundation area map?
Which organization should hold the main responsibility for making anddisseminating flood hazard maps?

C. The “Action Plan” of making flood hazard map in my countryWhich area do you choose for the target river basin area? Why?
What do you think is necessary to make flood hazard map in this chosen area? Do you
have data, maps, or budgets necessary for making flood hazard maps?
Propose your own “Action Plan” within the next five years
What seems a problems in making flood hazard maps in your country?

D. “My own flood hazard map on Ise city”
What is the improvement from the FHM on Ise city currently available?

E. Conclusion

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Introduction
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is located in the South-East Asia and from 13º to 23ºlatitudes, from 101º to 108º longitudes. The area of Lao PDR covers 236,800 square km², twothirds of which is mountainous. Geographic conditions restrict both the quantity and quality ofagricultural land and pose Difficulties in
Chinadevelopment of trade, social infrastructure, &transport and communication links. Nevertheless,VietnaLao PDR is located in centre of a dynamic andMyamarprospering region and as such has the potential toprovide strategic resource base the land links. Lao
PDR is also lying along middle part of theMekong, which is the 12th longest river in theworld. It flows through Lao territory almost 1,860
Vientiankm, contains 28 tributaries and 35% of water flow
contributes of the whole lower Mekong Basinrunoff.
ThailanLao PDR lies almost entirely within the Lower
Mekong Basin. Its climate, Landuse andLandscape are the major factors shaping thehydrology of the river. The climate is dominatedCambodiaby the Southwest Monsoon, which generates wetand dry seasons; the Monsoon season usually
lasts from May until late September or earlyOctober. The highest rainfalls are as expected-in the Central Highlands and within themainstream valley at middle part of Lao PDR. But the country suffers from flood nearly everyyear. Floods occur as a result of the combination of high rainfall from typhoons and from thesouthwest monsoon. Flooding occurs in four main areas: (i) The Vientiane Plain, (ii) inKhammouane Province (Thakhek Town), (iii) in Savannakhet Province, and (iv) in Champasak
Province (Pakse Town).
A feature of floods in Lao PDR is that they very much influenced byCambodia
tributary flows. Eighty
percent of rural flooding and twenty percent of urban flooding is directly caused the flooding ofthe Mekong River main stream tributaries. Most of the major main flood-prone areas in Laos are
situated near large river tributaries. The combined effects large flows from tributaries andbackwater effects from the Mekong River cause the most serious flood damage.

A. The role of flood hazard maps to mitigate flood damages in Lao People’s
Democratic Republic
Disaster management in general and flood management in particular is the responsibility of theNational Disaster Management Organization (NDMO), which coordinates the technicaldepartments and institutions in charge of facing these issues. At provincial and district levels,
similar structures (Committees) have been set up as well. The Committee’s members coordinate
to work in the affected areas in order to assess the damages and primary needs and proceed toemergency measures, each institution according to its field of responsibility. So far Flood Hazard
Map in Lao People’s Dem Rep. doesn’t have yet but inundation boundary map which lied along
the Mekong River through my country from up to down stream was created several years ago.

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A1. The flood status in my country:
As a result of an effect of strong Southeast Monsoon and from Wongfong-14 storm, it was very
heavy rained and affected, water level at Mekong River and its tributaries dramatically increases
and flood occurred at all regions in whole territory of the country.
The serous flood occurred in 1966, 1968, 1971, and 2005. The flood of those years occupied
many places, particularly along the Mekong River and its tributaries, the detail information isshown below in the table (1) and (2).
No.

Type of Damages
Estimation Damages
People affected
1601
Number of Province affected
84
02
Number of District affected
2.510
03
Number of Villages affected
8.553
04People died from flood
405
People evacuated to safe places356
06
Number of people affected
408.913
Agricultural production
07
Rice planed (Ha)687.555
08
Paddy field loss (Ha)55.95509
Loss of livestock (Units) (1)2.124
10Loss of fishpond (Ha)296
Total estimate of damages in MUS$
28,56
Table01. Estimate of damages of the flood 2005 at Mekong River Basin Level.
(Source: Annual Flood Report 2005, Flood Mitigation Management Program, MRC)

Dates:Start dateEnd date
Aug/2002

Location:

Bolikhamsay,
Savannakhet, Vientane,
Khaman, Udomsay, Luang
Prabang provinces
Aug/2001
Khammouane,
Savannakhet,
Champassak, Attapeu
provinces
Sept/2000
Louang Namtha,
Bolikhamxay, Kham
Muane, Savannakhet,
Champassak, Saravan,
Vientiane
15/Aug/1996 Huaphanh, Phongsaly,
Luanprabang,
Luangnamtha,
Borikhamsay,
Savanhnakheat, Vientiane,
Khammuoane provinces,Vientiane municapilty

Numbers:

Country

2 killed
150,000 affected

Lao P Dem Rep

Flood

453,000 affected

Lao P Dem Rep

Flood

15 killed
450,000 affected

Lao P Dem Rep

Flood

30 killed
420,000 affected

Lao P Dem Rep

Disaster:Type
Sub Type
Name
Flood

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Jul/1995
Sept/1995

Aug/1994
Aug/1992
Sept/1991

Bolikhamxay,
Savannakhet,
Champassak, Sekong,
Attapeu provinces
CentralWhole country
Khammouane,
Savannakhet, Champassak

Sept/1984
Aug/1978

Flood
Flood

200,000 affected391,400 affectedLao P Dem Rep
Lao P Dem Rep

Flood
Flood

190,000 affected
10 killed
150 injured
332,000 affected

Lao P Dem Rep
Lao P Dem Rep

14 killed
2000 affected
31 killed
459,000 affected
14 killed
15,000 homeless
100,000 affected
200,000US$ Damage
2 killed
600 homeless
9000 affected
1,280,000
US$ Damage
300 killed
2000 homeless
70,000 affected15,300,000 US$Damage

Lao P Dem Rep

Flood
Flood

Southern, Central

Flood

17/Aug/1971 VientianeFlood

5/Sept/1968

Flood

25/Aug/1966

South, along Mekong river

Flood

Lao P Dem Rep

Lao P Dem Rep
Lao P Dem Rep

Lao P Dem RepLao P Dem Rep

Table02 shows the list of Disasters, Sources: "M-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database

A2. The outline of the present countermeasures for mitigating flood damages:¾

Based on the policy of Government 2005 to 2020 is clear that how the ministries and line
Agencies are concerned to establish they own plan as follow:• Ministry of Communication Transport Post and Construction (MCTPC) will responsible
for structure and non structure measure in the City, Urban, and Town
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will responsible for reducing the slash and burnforestry, reforestation, watershed management, irrigation system and provide data ofhydrology and meteorology to all ministries and line agencies concerned including floodforecast, rainfall forecast and water level forecast on the TV, radio and newspaper. Especially,
prepare the second agriculture crop to the farmers and communities after flooding• Ministry of Industry and Handicraft is responsible for flood control down stream of dams.
• National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) under Ministry of Labor, Social andWelfare, considers, prepare and ask donor for relief and flood respond. In some case they willresponsible for non structure measure such as flood preparedness in the province, district andcommunities in inundation areas, produced guide book for elementary school and others.
• Prime Ministry’s Office responsible for the hold system of flood responsibility.

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A3. Do you think that the Flood Hazard Map will be useful in your country?

As I’ve mentioned above, flood hazard map has not produced yet in my country
therefore, I’ve learned lectures, exercises and field survey including Town-Watchingin this course, however it is impressive to me all useful topics of the designed
curriculum. In order to be guidance for the countermeasure for mitigating flood
damages as shown in the tables (1) and (2), at the present flood hazard map is very
useful and needed for residents in urban areas especially.
B. The allocation of roles in making flood hazard map in Lao PDR
B1. Which organization should hold the main responsibility for making a fundamental
map such as anticipated inundation area map?
In my point of view, I’ve been talk with ex-participants in previous course in order to beresponsibility for making a fundamental map and flood hazard map,o National Geographic Department is responsible for creating topographic base map
oo The Lao National Mekong Committee should be responsible making flood hazard map
because at the present one division which is under the committee is responsible andprovided technical support including GIS and Hydro Modeling to the implementation ofLNMC work programs and also coordinating with line Agencies concerned.
B2. Which organization should hold the main responsibility for making anddisseminating flood hazard maps?

The idea is concerning to outline of the present countermeasures for mitigating flood
damages, Therefore the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) under Ministry ofLabor, Social and Welfare should hold main responsibility for disseminating flood
hazard maps in Lao PDR.
C. The “Action Plan” of making flood hazard map in my country
C1. Which area do you choose for the target river basin area? Why?

The catchments area that I will choose for target river basin area is sub-catchments
Sebangfai area which is locate in middle part of the Lao PDR (see map 01), because
the reason why is following:
The flood occurred almost yearly for instant in 1991, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002and 2005, those information of damages is shown in tables (1) and (2).

C2. What do you think is necessary to make flood hazard map in this chosen area? Do
you have data, maps, or budgets necessary for making flood hazard maps?
I would say yes, it is necessary, some data and information that we have as following:

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

We have some meteorological data like: Rainfall, Discharge …
We have some spatial data like base maps at scale 1/100 000 and 1.50 000 but 1/5000
is not sure.

In the long run, making Flood Hazard Map in this area accordingly to Table (1) isvery important issue, but until now, it lack of financial support.

Feagure1 shows map of catchments area in territory of Lao PDR.

Se Bang Fai Basin istarget area:
Location:
From 16º 50’ to 18ºLatitude andFrom 104º 50’ to 106ºLongitude

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Feagure2 shows the Official Se Bang Fai watershed division

A first division of the SBF watershed is a division into eight sub watersheds (Figure2).
This division comes from the official watershed classification of the Lao PDR provided
by the Mekong River Commission.
The explanation of Figure2 is the bold blue line represents the Se Bang Fai river flowing
from sub basin 466 to 468 into the Mekong which is represented by number 441. A few
tributaries (subbasin 481 and 438) flow into the Se Bang Fai where the Se Noy riverflows from sub basin 480 into sub basin 435, which is the largest tributary of the Se Bang
Fai. Sub basin 480 and 439 are considered as one sub basin, since there are nohydrological stations available. Other tributaries of the Se Bang Fai are the Nam Piat(basin number 438) and the Nam Oula river (481) both situated on the left bank.
C3. Propose your own “Action Plan” within the next fine years.

NoDescription

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Initial Phase(i)Institutionalarrangements
Data assessment andcollating

12

Data Collecting

3(ii)Training/on the job training
Methods of Flood
Hazard Mapping
GIS for creating basedmaps
Simulate Hydro
Modeling, run-off,discharge
Town-Watching/FieldSurvey

123
4

FHM production(iii)
Producing maps andrelated texts
Producing FHM

5
6Dissemination/ Distribution(iv)
7Workshops

8
Report9

Dissemination andConcluding Report on Flood Hazard Mapping Course, ICHARM, Japan, 29th, November, 2006, (Page8/10)

Distribution Launchingof internet,

C4. What seems a problem in making flood hazard maps in your country?

* The stakeholders and decision maker should understand the meaning of the Flood
Hazard Map and purpose of use it,* Lack of financial support for implementing the Action Plan as shown on above* Lack of sufficient data such as large scale of topographic map especially in urban areas.

D. “My own Flood Hazard Map on Ise city”
D1. What is the improvement from the FHM on Ise city currently available?

Flood Hazard Map on Ise city proposes to be improved as follow:

1. The inundation dept
2. Try put more evacuation centers
3. Put more evacuation routes
4. Put some more signage’sConcluding Report on Flood Hazard Mapping Course, ICHARM, Japan, 29th, November, 2006, (Page9/10)

E. Conclusion of the report
During five weeks of the training course on flood hazard mapping, I’ve
learned a lot about flood hazard map creation, to make a concluding report isallowed me to be improved myself and also my division.
The concluding report has about seven pages, consist very important contents
especially the Action Plan between the next five years described about theactivities of flood hazard map making.
This training program has meaningful and powerful in point of view because
before I came to Japan to attend this course, I’ve had some background about
map making using GIS program, but after I’ve learned some how that I gain
more knowledge concerned flood hazard mapping.
When I return to my country, I will report to my Boss, if I have just power
enough I will try to seek a supported fund for implementing my Action Plan.

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