Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Mrs Phonevanh Outhavong chairs a meeting on Monday.

Laos, World Bank assess progress of disaster risk management project

Officials from four ministries and the World Bank met on Monday to evaluate the progress made in fulfilling the goals of the South East Asia Disaster Risk Management Project in Laos.
The ministries of Planning and Investment, Public Works and Transport, Natural Resources and Environment, and Finance were represented at the meeting in Vientiane.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Mrs Phonevanh Outhavong, said “The World Bank’s follow-up of progress is critical in assessing past activities to demonstrate success and problems, especially in resolving problems to achieve project goals and objectives.”
The World Bank will continue to follow up progress at the four ministries from June 27 to July 2.
The project is funded by the World Bank Group with US$56 million, which includes a US$55 million loan and a US$1 million grant to cover the eight years of the project from 2017-2024.
The project comprises flood risk management through the construction of embankments in Xay district, Oudomxay province, and Borikhamxay and Luang Prabang provinces, implemented by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. This work is now 11 percent complete.
In addition, early warning/meteorological systems and disaster preparedness are being stepped up in Oudomxay, Luang Prabang and Phongsaly provinces, implemented by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology under the Ministry of Natural Resources and other entities, and is now 21 percent complete. 
The third project component is emergency response and post-disaster recovery. This work is being carried out by the Ministry of Finance and is now 94 percent complete.
The fourth component is an initiative titled Integrating Natural Disaster Risk Reduction into Public Investment and Project Management, implemented by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and is now 57 percent complete. 
 The fifth component concerns emergency response mechanisms.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update June 28, 2022)