UNEP

Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Lao PDR

Project Title

Building resilience of urban populations with ecosystem-based solutions in Lao PDR

Project factsheet

Key Figures:

  • Budget: USD 11.5 million (co-finance USD 1.5 million)
  • Executing Entity: Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment 
  • Area to rehabilitate: 1500 ha (800 ha wetland area, 700 ha urban streams) 
  • Beneficiaries: 825,000 people
  • Fund: Green Climate Fund
  • Project Sites: Vientiane, Paksan, Savannakhet and Pakse
  • Timeframe: 2020-2025

Description:

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events in Lao PDR. This coupled with inadequate urban planning and drainage systems are leading to severe flooding in the major cities of Vientiane, Paksan, Savannakhet and Pakse. 

This project is building climate resilience of local communities in these cities through the implementation of an integrated approach to flood management to reduce the impacts of urban flooding and to help manage climate change induced floods in a long-term. The project activities include strengthening technical capacity and knowledge management for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), developing city-level flood management strategies, and implementing urban EbA solutions, including protecting and restoring wetlands and urban streams along the Mekong River. The project is also supporting the production and dissemination of information on local, regional, and international levels to build technical capacity for the implementation of urban EbA interventions. 

Overall, the project is contributing to a paradigm shift of urban flood management from hard ‘grey’ infrastructure towards innovative use of integrated ‘green’ infrastructure, such as urban EbA solutions.

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