Laos : New Initiatives To Address Flooding

Severe flooding again swept across many provinces in Laos as Tropical Storm Wipha struck the country between 21 and 23 July, inundating several districts and causing widespread damage

The capital city is already witnessing the damaging effects of climate change. In the midst of its wet monsoon season, rainfall levels are increasingly exceeding the capacity of Vientiane’s drainage systems. 

As the existing infrastructure becomes overwhelmed, devastating floods are becoming the new normal.

Weeks earlier, locals from Nonkhilek Village in Vientiene gathered together in their community temple to share their experiences of ongoing flooding, which affects 95% of their homes.

The villagers were brought together under the Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Adaptation in Lao PDR (NATURA) iniative, a joint project in collaboration between the Lao PDR Government, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Nong Loup Ian wetland - a work in progress. / photo S Mythen

Surrounding their village is Nong Loup Ian wetland, the focus of NATURA.  The project aims to restore and rehabilitate the wetland, reducing future floodings’ impact on the vulnerable local community who live alongside it. “Nonkhilek’s heartbeat is the Nong Loup Ian wetland,” said village chief, Soudjai Sannasan.

MFAT is providing $11.5 million in funding across the five-year project.

“Laos is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, with devastating floods already causing significant damage to key infrastructure and people’s lives and livelihoods,” a MFAT spokesperson said.

“Poor and disadvantaged communities – urban, peri-urban and rural – are often particularly vulnerable given that they are often living in locations highly exposed to natural hazard risk.”

Housing near the Nong Loup In wetland ./ photo S Mythen

The Lao government has communicated to its development partners that flood management and climate change adaptation are new priorities. Its long-term goal: safe, resilient, and inclusive sustainable development of its cities.

“Vientiane is growing very fast and there is little urban planning,” GGGI Lao PDR Deputy Country representative and project manager Eva Diaz Ugena said.

“When people arrive, they establish themselves in areas where the land is cheaper, and this wetland is one of those areas.”

She explained that the Nong Loup Ian wetland is at a ‘sweet spot’ where there’s still a chance to preserve the ecosystem for generations to come. “If we wait any longer, this chance will be lost, as too many people will have moved in, increasing the difficulties of getting it back to an acceptable ecological status.”

The initial idea for the project was in response to the seasonal flooding in the community, which is worsening with the effects of climate change. Laos is witnessing higher amounts of rain falling in shorter periods of time.

“If your household is flooded regularly every year, and strong rainfall events are only increasing because of climate change, this is very disruptive. It’s not only about your home being flooded, but the roads will be flooded and people cannot access their daily jobs, you cannot attend school, or access health centres,” Ugena said.

“If you’ve got a business in the area, your clients cannot access it, and you cannot provide your service as your premises are flooded - so you cannot earn your income. You cannot grow your garden because your land is flooded, and your livestock cannot access good grass to eat.”

More than 34,000 people living nearby will benefit from the initiative, and local ownership of the project has been key.

“Initial work has focused on establishing relationships with authorities, communities, and regional and wider networks to ensure that the project has the buy-in to make its impacts enduring,” the MFAT spokesperson said.

Local communities expect infrastructure projects to move in and start building dams and roads, with little regard to the people already calling the area their home, Ugena explained.

“They are so used to relocations and losing their land and their houses, so everyone was really afraid about those possible negative outcomes,” she said. “But this project will be designed without any relocation, with minimal negative impacts on their lives.”

Many in the village rely on the wetlands for their food and income. A local fisherman shared that just one bucket of snails could be sold for 60-70,000 kip (about $NZ5), which would buy rice and school supplies for his family. 

Last month’s gathering was the project’s first community outreach event. 

Held in the local Nonkhilek Temple, five local youth volunteers shared local flood issues, solutions and benefits from restoring the wetland via soulful dance and song.  

Through creative storytelling, each character in the skit was linked with a recognisable community member role, so the audience could see themselves reflected in the narrative. 

“The Nong Loup Ian wetland is super valuable, not just some wasted space. When the community steps up to protect or restore it, we all win—a better environment and happier people,” one of the volunteers said.

During the event, colourful illustrations were shared, showing what the future Nong Loup Ian would look like. A village elder took a copy home for his grandchildren.

 “This project shows us how to restore Nong Loup Ian and bring back its rich biodiversity,” said villager Thanomsub Chanthalath.

There will be common spaces for the surrounding community to enjoy the wetland itself, as well as to encourage local and international tourism. 

“They are excited about the opportunity of having a common space to create a market. In Lao they love night markets and spaces where they can go out and all eat together,” Ugena said.

Endangered ornate softshell turtles and the Indochinese rat snake have also made their home amongst 200 other native flora and fauna in the wetland, which are rapidly disappearing elsewhere across Southeast Asia. 

Nonkhilek Village Deputy Village Chief Oudomphone Xaypanya said she remembers when the wetland was clean and full of fish, before pollution reduced its biodiversity. 

“I hope this project helps restore and improve the marsh,” she continued. 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters meets GGGI Director-General, Dr Frank Rijsberman / phto S Mythen

NATURA is the first project targeting flood management via incorporating nature-based solutions into urban planning that New Zealand has supported in Laos. It’s now in its second year, with Foreign Minister Winston Peters attending the project launch in 2024.

“The NATURA Project will be a clear example of how nature-based solutions can protect both biodiversity and community resilience in Laos,” an MFAT spokesperson said. 

“The activity aims to strengthen the resilience of some of Vientiane’s most vulnerable communities to the ongoing effects of climate change and extreme weather.”

The spokesperson said lessons learned on this project could eventually inform other nature-based solutions and climate adaptation efforts around the world, and even in New Zealand. 

The Nong Loup Ian wetland restoration project will provide a benchmark for similar future projects in Lao/ photo / Water Sensitive Cities

The project has four main outcomes: Rehabilitate the wetland area to improve its water quality and ecological status; create livelihood opportunities around the wetland for the local community, with a special focus on the most vulnerable and marginalised groups; create a flooding management plan to reduce peak runoff in weather events; and encourage the uptake of nature-based solutions in urban planning across the country.

“To combine traditional infrastructure with nature-based solutions is cheaper and provides better management during the rainy season,” Ugena said.

Lao officials told local press they hope the project will provide a benchmark for future use of nature-based solutions in urban planning, to better prepare cities for climate change.

“Without New Zealand’s funding, we could have never implemented this project,” Ugena said. “I’m really grateful that they took the time to think about, and be supportive of nature-based solution interventions.”

Asia Media Centre