Drought Management in Lao PDR Department of Water Resources (DWR) Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) Lao PDR ASEAN Drought Workshop August 2015, Bangkok, Thailand

Contents  Overview of Water Resources In Laos  Drought Condition in Laos  Institutional Arrangement and Policy Framework  Implemented Activities responding to drought  Future Plan for Drought Management

Overview- Lao PDR  Lao PDR is located in South-East Asia with Area of 236,800 km2;  90% of the country are in Mekong Basin;  Water resources per capita is around 55,000 m 3 per year;  35% of annual flow (or equal 270,000 m 3 ) in Mekong is from Lao tributaries;  Mountain covers 80% of county  Laos has a tropical monsoon climate  There are 2 seasons:  Dry Season (Nov-April)  Rainy Season (May-October)

Drought Condition in Laos Problems:  Water scarcity in dry season especially water for agriculture during February to May  Water spring systems have been broken  Groundwater quantity reduced;  Not enough water for pumping (bore-hole, well)  Land use changed, deforestation, climate change

Drought Condition in Laos Stations:  There are 16 meteorological stations used for analysis 1.Soukhoumma 2.Saravanh 3.Donghene 4.Kengkok 5.Phalan 6.Muong Mahaxai 7.Meuang kao 8.Kengkouang (Source: Lao National Risk Profile) 9.Xayaboury 10.Luang Prabang 11.Pakkagnoung 12.Phiengluang 13.Luangnamtha 14.Muong Ngoy 15.Oudomxay 16.Phongsaly

Drought Condition in Laos Damages:  1987 – damaged $5 million  damaged $40 million – 730,000 people affected - with a cut in annual crop yields by about one-third, mainly due to the restriction of rain-fed rice production  1989 – damaged $20 million  1998 – damaged 5 million  2003 – damaged 16.5 million  Current – still occurring and damage

Institutions and Policy Framework # Institutional Arrangement:  National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC), 1999  Provincial Disaster Management Committee  MONRE: Department of Water Resources, DMCC, DMH  PONREs and DONREs # Policy Framework  National Strategy on Climate Change 2020  Climate change Action Plan  Nation Water Resources Strategy 2025 and Action Plan Program 9: Flood and Drought Management

Implemented Activities  In collaboration with local authorities and communities constructed check-dams (ex. at Nam Po sub-watershed)  Repaired weirs (Nam Po sub-watershed)  Repaired rural spring-water supply systems (at Vientiane, Salavan, Sekong, Khammuan, Savannakhet Provinces…)  Develop data collection form for local needs in scarcity areas  Conducting survey in some scarcity areas and needs of people  Draft drought management plans in river basins (Nam Ngum, Xebungfai, Xebunghieng, Sedone…)  Water balance modeling in Nam Ngum & Nam Xong Basins

Future Plans 2020  Assess drought status, identify risk areas and other impacts through participation and coordination with sector concerned at central and local levels.  Develop drought management and mitigation plans in the river basins.  Implement, report and disseminate a reliable early drought warning system with focusing on establishment and improvement of infrastructure for storing water and mitigating drought impacts  Develop drought database and networks  Develop guideline for drought management and mitigation  Application of hydrology modeling (water balance-drought)  Capacity building and Awareness raising

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