Laos, neighbours pool views on developments in water supply

Lao government representatives and delegations from Cambodia, Myanmar and Japan met in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last week to discuss good practices in water supply, with the aim of building capacity in the sector.
The 8th Project to Project Meeting, titled “Strengthening Capacity in the Water Supply Sector”, took place from February 11-12 and was attended by at least 40 people.

The Lao delegation gathers with participants from neighbouring countries at the “Strengthening Capacity in the Water Supply Sector” meeting in Cambodia last week.

Director General of the Department of Water Supply under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mr Phomma Veoravanh, led the Lao delegation at the meeting, which was chaired by the spokesman of Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry and Handicraft, Mr Oum Sotha.
The Lao delegation presented an outline of the Project for Improvement of Management Capacity of Water Supply Sector (MaWaSU 2) and the organisational structure of the water supply sector in Laos, and shared their experiences of data management.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is running Technical Cooperation Projects in the water supply sector in Cambodia and Myanmar.
Last week’s meeting provided a platform for project participants to discuss lessons learned and enhance friendship among the three countries.
The Lao delegation heard about the challenges faced by and lessons learned from other countries, saying these would be noted and passed on to the relevant organisations and considered for their applicability to the situation in Laos.
The Project to Project Meeting programme began in 2012. Laos has hosted the meeting four times: in 2013 in Luang Prabang, and in 2014, 2016 and 2017 in Vientiane.
Meeting participants agreed to continue to hold the meeting every year to further build partnerships in the water supply sector in the South East Asia region.
The Project for Improvement of Management Capacity of the Water Supply Sector (MaWaSU 2), which is taking place in Laos from May 2018 to May 2023, is a Technical Cooperation Project supported by JICA to strengthen the water supply sector in terms of the government’s management system and the operational ability of Water Supply State Enterprises.
The project has four outputs: transparency, accountability and governance is enhanced in water supply sector institutions by improving the administration of services; the capacity of Water Supply State Enterprises for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of water supply projects is enhanced; the technical standards necessary for water supply are developed; and the rational capacity necessary for Water Supply State Enterprises is enhanced.

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update February 19, 2020