Breadcrumb
Lao PDR
Capital:
Vientiane
Land Area:
230,800km²
Inland Water Area:
6,000km²
Lao PDR is strongly linked with its river systems. More than 80% of Lao PDR is within the Mekong River basin, providing the country with the highest per capita water allocation in the region. Spanning the Sekong, Saravane and Champasack provinces, the Sedone Rivers basin is one of the major river basins of the country, and has a total land area of 7,229km2.
A significant achievement of Lao PDR is the integrated management of the Sedone River Basin, one of the 10 priority river basins for IRBM implementation in the country. The Sedone River runs for 1,574km in Southern Lao and has five main tributaries and 18 sub-basins. A lifeblood of about 690,000 people, Sedone River supports various socioeconomic activities including coffee plantations, hydropower generation, tourism and agriculture. Since 2008, Lao PDR and PEMSEA have been working together to develop the Sedone River Basin Profile and adopt the Sedone River Basin Sustainable Development Strategy. The partnership continues with the implementation of the SDS-SEA Scaling Up Project in Lao PDR focusing on: development of the National River Basin Strategy to 2030; development of the National Guideline for Water Resources Use Fee; development of the national IRBM demonstration site in Houay Paii, Saravan Province and; implementation of the Sedone River Basin Sustainable Development Strategy including development of management plans for the 3 sub-basins (Houay Champi, Houay Paii and Houa Sedone) in the Sedone Riber basin.
The Sedone Integrated River Basin Management Project (SIRBMP) promotes an interprovincial and multisectoral approach to manage the resources in Sedone. It is a collaborative effort among the three provinces, the Department of Water Resources and PEMSEA. The SIRBMP is providing capacity development in various aspects of river basin management, including rapid appraisal, assessing the state of river basin development, river basin strategy development, information management and other activities designed to strengthen capacity of the Project Management Team. The intergovernmental Project Steering Committee (PSC) established in the provinces of Champasack, Saravan, and Sekong provides policy direction and recommendations to the implementation of the SIRBMP. The Project Coordinating Offices established in each of the provinces serves as Secretariat to the PSCs.
A comprehensive river basin strategy, the Sedone River Basin Strategy and its implementation plan (Sedone Riverbasin Sustainable Development and Management Plan (2015-2030), which was adopted in 2014 by the Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment in the 3 provinces, serves as a blueprint for the sustainable management of resources in the Sedone watershed area. Major implementation activities include policy implementation, land use planning, riverbank rehabilitation, protected area management, waste management, information dissemination and public awareness.
In an effort to lay the mechanism for improved watershed management, the Government of Lao PDR passed and approved its updated Water and Water Resources Law covering the comprehensive management of the country’s water resources, mitigation of potential water-related disasters and management of wastewater discharges during its National Assembly in May 2017. The country has also embarked in the development of its National River Basin Strategy to 2030 for improved management of its water resources.
Focal Points:
Dr. Inthavy Akkharath (National Focal Point)
Director-General, Department of Water Resources (DWR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)
c/o Ms. Chindavanh Souriyaphack (main contact point)
Senior Officer, DWR, MONRE
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
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Xiamen Ministerial Declaration 2024
The Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, adopted by PEMSEA country partners in November 2024, strengthens regional commitments for sustainable ocean governance in East Asian Seas. The declaration emphasizes 10 synergistic actions across effective governance, ocean health, blue economy, and food security, while advancing the SDS-SEA Implementation Plan 2023-2027 and PEMSEA 2030 Roadmap through collaborative partnerships.
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PEMSEA eBulletin - November 2024
Dear PEMSEA community,
That’s a wrap for East Asian Seas Congress (EASC) 2024!
As we close the successful EASC 2024 held in Xiamen, China, we look back at inspiring discussions, collaborations, and groundbreaking initiatives that helped achieve our collective commitment to a sustainable and resilient future!
This month, we extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who made EASC 2024 a success. Check out the key takeaways from the Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, discover how the EASC Exhibition celebrated 30 years of regional cooperation, and revisit the many highlights of this landmark event.
A Heartfelt Thank You!
To all delegates, convenors, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and ocean leaders, we extend our deepest gratitude for your exceptional contributions to the success of the EASC 2024!
This year’s Congress brought together 855 participants from 20 countries, a potent pool of ideas and experiences. From 171 speakers leading 35 sessions, the creativity and enthusiasm of our 50 exhibitors, and the support of our nine sponsors, every milestone of the Congress was filled with collaboration, learning and the essence of partnerships.
We explored important themes through our plenary sessions, including:
- Ocean Innovations and Financing
- Ocean Science, Policy, and Practice
- Global Challenges, Local Solutions
Parallel sessions took a closer look into selected topics like climate action, biodiversity and sustainable development, while our exhibits showcased cutting-edge solutions and technologies for ocean sustainability.
With representation from 20 countries, 88 IGOs and NGOs, 42 local host institutions, 47 academic institutions, 22 local governments, 6 donor agencies and foundations, 15 business organizations, and over 200 youth participating as speakers, delegates, and dedicated volunteers, the Congress truly reflected a “whole of society” approach.
Your contributions and engagement made this Congress a celebration of “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.” Together, we tackled the big questions, shared ideas and built lasting partnerships to protect our coastal communities and our shared ocean.
See you at the 9th EAS Congress in 2027!
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The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System
The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System is intended for local governments and/or river basinorganizations in the East Asian Seas region currently or planning to implement integrated river basin management (IRBM)/integratedwater resources management (IWRM) programs. It provides guidance in establishing a regular monitoring, evaluation (M&E) and reporting mechanism, and discusses the requirements, the basis and importance of implementing and sustaining the SORB reporting system.