GoAL WaSH Laos

The Lao GoAL WaSH project aims to enhance pro-poor water governance in Lao People's Democratic Republic by assisting the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to:

(a) Develop a National Water Supply Sector Strategy
(b) Develop a database with designs of water supply treatment plants of various capacities for use with smaller communities, and
(c) Promote best practices and incentivizing governance reform by supporting pilot demonstration projects under the UN-HABITAT MEK-WATSAN programme.

These initiatives will enable the Government of Lao PDR to clearly establish targets and enable the development partners and other stakeholders to provide strategic and coordinated support. It also supports the government’s policy of developing small district towns as economic and service centers in the rural districts.

Although Lao PDR is essentially a rural country, the small towns are playing an increasingly important role in the country’s economy as centers of marketing and agricultural processing in their largely rural districts, as economic links between rural, national and international markets, and as places offering non-farm employment to the rural poor.  In 2007, it was estimated that piped water supply coverage in the small towns was only 21% compared to combined coverage of 70% in the five largest towns. Inadequate water supply and poor environmental conditions in the small towns deter socio-economic development and restricts the ability of small towns to serve as centres supporting their surrounding rural areas.

The project consists of two main elements:

• Water Sector Strategy: This will be developed through active engagement and consultations with the different stakeholders from Government and other national/international organizations active in the water sector in the country. Existing laws, regulations and policies will be reviewed in the process of the sector strategy development.

• Database on design of water treatment plants: Review of the design and costs of water treatment plants will be carried out to capacitate the government to undertake informed decisions on new water supply projects in un-served areas.

• Preparation of the pro-poor national sector water supply strategy

a. Study of existing laws, regulations and policies
b. Stakeholder consultations
c. Drafting of the strategy document, and
d. Dissemination of the strategy to Stakeholders

• Establishment of a database with design of water supply treatment plants of various capacities ready for use with smaller communities of the size between about 2,000 inhabitants to about 5,000 inhabitants. This database will be designed to ensure pro-poor water investment in small towns.

As per the MDG Acceleration Framework (September 2010), provision of safe water supply and improved sanitation for all rural areas and small towns is one of the strategies for “reaching the unreached” in order to meet the MDGs. It is expected that the Project will be a contribution to the Government’s efforts to expand access to safe piped water supply for the urban population to 65% by 2014 and 80% by 2020, particularly focusing on the poor who have limited access to water and sanitation services. The project will strengthen the water sector through improved sector coordination and planning and as well as potentially trigger increased investments in water supply in the small towns. The outcome will be an improvement in the access, quality, and reliability of the water supply and sanitation services.

Water for Asian Cities
UN-HABITAT’s global website
UN Lao PDR website/UN-HABITAT in Lao
MDG Acceleration Framework document