The Challenge of Water Resources Management in Laos

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The Challenge of Water Resources Management in
Laos

• CSIRO Land and Water Seminar
• by
• Sengmanichanh Somchanmavong
• International visit sponsored by the
  International Centre of Excellence in Water
  Resources Management
• (ICE WaRM)

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Overview

1. Introduction to the international visit program
2. Sponsor the visiting program (ICE WaRM
   presentation)
3. Sharing the challenges of Water Resources
   Management in Lao PDR
4. Learnings from Australia
5. Comments - Discussion

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1. Introduction

• Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project
• ADB Loan 1933-LAO AFD Grant CLA 1048 01H
• Sengmanichanh Somchanmavong
• Training Specialist
• Water Resources Coordination Committee
  Secretariat
• Office of the Prime Minister
• Vientiane, Lao PDR

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International Centre of Excellence in Water
Resources Management (ICE WaRM)

• International Visit
• Australian Research Centre for Water in Society
  (ARCWIS)
• CSIRO Land and Water

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Satisfying the thirst of/for tomorrows leaders
Established late 2004
Consortium
Launched Aug 2005
Facilitator and broker
Education, Training Research in Water
Supported by SA Govt
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ICE WaRMWhat does it do?

• ICE WaRM provides a national focus and
  international gateway to Australias education,
  training and research expertise in water.
• ICE WaRM facilitates collaboration in
  water-related research, education and training
  opportunities for international (and national)
  scholars wanting to advance their careers, and
  meeting the needs of their water management
  organisations.

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ICE WaRMProducts

• Education
• Award programmes
• Training
• Short courses, study tours, vocational and
  in-service
• Research
• Collaborative research programmes
• all in Water Management

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Founding Shareholders
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Supporters and Associates
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• 3. Sharing the Challenges of Water Resources
  Management in Lao PDR

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Background of Laos

• Geography surrounding 5 countries with a
  different political system
• Land AreaPop 236,800 Sq Kms
• Density COUNTRYPopulation 68 per/Sq Kms
• Under international agreement Mekong River
  Commission
• 97 of Lao territory lies in the Mekong River
  Basin,
• and it contributes about 35 of annual flow in
  Mekong River.

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• Politics
• one legal party,
• 16 provincial administrations,
• Vientiane is the capital city
• An increasing number of population
• Population 6 million
• Annual growth rate (2005) 2,4

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• The major river basins in Lao PDR are all
  tributaries of the Mekong River and were selected
  on the basis of size (most are over 4,500 km2).
  Among them, the Nam Ngum River Basin is by size
  the fifth largest river basin in Lao.

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Introduction for NNRBDP

• The Nam Ngum River Basin
• total area - 16,841 km2
• mostly hilly and mountainous
• the Vientiane Plains - floodplain
• the Plain of Jars - plateau area in the upper

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• Culture - various ethnic minorities live in
  mountainous areas, slash and burn agricultural
  practicing

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Water Demand

• Domestic and industrial water use,
• agriculture irrigated areas, crop areas,
• mining,
• hydroelectricity,
• fisheries,
• tourism,
• navigation

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Problems

• water shortage for the dry season,
• flooding in lower plain,
• water quality risk at mining sites,
• river bank erosion and sediment

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Nam Ngum River Basin development project

• Component 1 Integrated Water Resources
  Management conducted by the Water Resources
  Coordinating Committee Secretariat (WRCCS) of
  Prime Ministers Office
• Component 2 Reservoir Management and River Basin
  Modeling conducted by the Department of
  Electricity, Ministry of Energy and Mines
• Component 3 Watershed Management conducted by
  the National Agricultural and Forestry Extension
  Services (NAFES) and Integrated Watershed
  Management Unit (IWMU) of MAF

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• The long-term goal - optimal use of water
  resources, especially in the Nam Ngum River
  Basin with immediate project objectives to

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• (i) foster and institutionalize IWRM in the
  mainstream planning process of the Government at
  the central and provincial levels, and
• (ii) support investment interventions in
  relatively degraded parts of the NNRB to provide
  sustainable livelihood opportunities for poor and
  ethnic communities

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Component 1

• sub-component building capacity IRBPM.
• One of the initial activities under this activity
  is the preparation a River Basin Profile for the
  Nam Ngum River Basin.

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The purpose of a River Basin Profile is to
provide

• A snapshot of the current conditions, issues and
  trends in the river basin
• A foundation for developing the River Basin Plan
• A shared understanding between sectors of
  conditions in the River Basin
• An information source to support future planning
  and government policy initiatives
• A source of information on the River Basin for
  interested stakeholders
• Directions for strengthening knowledge and
  information management.

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Update May 2007

• Trend to set up New Water and Environment Agency,
  
• Strengthening River Basin and Provincial Water
  Resource Management
• Draft Water Resources Profiles Available
• Draft Water Resources Data and Information
  Strategy

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1. Previous Strategic Activities

• Improved management of natural resources and
  environment is recognized as a national priority

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• Recognized a more coordinated approach
  integrated water resources management (IWRM),
  is needed. This approach
• i) balances dev. socio envir. consideration
• ii) addresses inter-sector (inter-provincial and
  international) issues, and
• iii) takes into consideration water quantity,
  water quality, surface and groundwater and other
  resource linkages.

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• IWRM also emphasizes improved data and
  information and technical methods and also
  improved governance, including public awareness
  and participation.

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• In accordance with this IWRM approach, the
  Government has taken a number of strategic
  initiatives in the past
• Law on Water and Water Resources approved (1996)
• Water Resources Coordinating Committee (WRCC)
  established under the Prime Ministers Office
  (1998)
• Water Sector Strategy and Action Plan prepared
  (1999)
• Prime Ministers Decree to implement the Law on
  Water and Water Resources approved (2001)

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2. Challenges

• Approval of the 1999 Water Sector Strategy and
  Action Plan and the draft water resources policy
  was not at a high level

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• Water legislation was not elaborated in
  sufficient detail to be well implemented.
• there are gaps in the legislation and
• there is a need for a clearer organizational
  strategy for implementing key IWRM functions.

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• There is no leading agency in the water resources
  sector
• IWRM activities are fragmented between many
  agencies and gaps exist.
• Technical and financial resources for IWRM
  activities are limited
• There are no clear priorities or strategy on how
  to address theses limitations.

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3. Current IWRM Activities and Objectives

• A number of activities are currently underway to
  address some of the priorities in the water
  sector
• Institutional reorganization
• (b) National water resources profile and strategy
• (c) Data and information management

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• (d) IWRM financing
• (e) River basin simulation and reservoir
  operational modeling
• (f) River basin and watershed planning

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4. Future Priorities

• A number of current activities are expected to
  be ongoing priorities over next 5 years or more.
• Institutional development and strengthening for
  improved IWRM implementation
• National water resources strategy
• Funding arrangements

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4. Future Priorities (cont.)

• Legislation
• Ongoing capacity building
• Data and information system upgrading
• Watershed management
• Awareness raising on water resources

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My Major Tasks

• On-going building of capacity and awareness
  raising on water resources
• Conducting training need assessment and
  monitoring
• Organizing short training courses related to
  IWRM, IRBM, series of training courses water
  quality, water policy and legislation,
  social-economic and environmental assessment,
  GIS,

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My Major Tasks cont.

• Assisting the project to conduct consultation
  workshops, seminars and meetings on National
  Water Resource profiles, River Basin Profiles and
  water related issues.
• Searching more possibilities to access
  international experiences

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Outcomes and Learning from Australia

• Working experiences with ARCWIS staff
• Interaction with social scientists in water
  resources management
• Involvement into some parts of the two running
  projects especially field visit and trial Q-Sort
• Environment and team work management
• Monitoring / management

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Outcomes and Learning from Australia

• Reviewing past public involvement programs
• Various social methodologies
• Many information related to water resources
• Linkage in to other web-sites
• Progress Reports
• Discussion with other experts on water related
  issues from other agencies

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Opportunity for Future

• Short-term Action
• Sharing overall working experience with friends
  and colleagues in the workplace as well as the
  same field in other agencies
• Bringing good examples from ARCWIS projects for
  upgrading the existing running project
• Keep in touch with ARCWIS staff and other experts
  water related issue in Australia

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Long-term Plan

• Attempt to propose a case study on Public
  Involvement especially social behaviour change,
  perception and acceptation for the challenging
  Water Resources Management in the country
• Engage my personnel experience into the
  international experience where would be possible
• Look forward to cooperate with an Australian
  agency which deals with water in society

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Thank You

• Thank you for ARCWIS team and CSIRO providing
  such a great environment to work with, good to
  know many of you as professionals on water in
  society.
• Thank you for ICE WaRM providing financial
  support for this trip
• I hope to collaborate and work with you in the
  future.

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Comments

• Your comments and questions are welcome.

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• Thank you very much for your attention

Water Ed Australia Pty Ltd ABN 13 112 314 780 GO
Box 860 Adelaide SA 5001, Australia Level 1, 77
Grenfell Street Adelaide SA 5000 t 61 8 8236
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