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When talk comes to natural resources, the most important issue is more often than not the first overlooked. World Water Day aims to redress the imbalance, recognizing the importance of water and spreading vital information on its proper use and conservation.
The Lao Scientific Seminar on water entitled ‘Share Water, Share Opportunities opened last week at the Lao-Japan Cooperation Centre in Vientiane.
Participants at the seminar included Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office and Water Resources and Environment Administration Head Ms Khempheng Pholsena and Vice Dean of the National University of Laos Lammay Phiphakkhavong. Representatives from the ministries of Agriculture and Health and international organizations attended the seminar.
The World Bank, International Union for Conservation of Nature, UN-Habitat, UNICEF, Mekong River Commission, the French Development Agency (ADF) and students of the National University of Laos all participated.
More than 100 people attended the seminar.
Organizers said the aim was to make people aware of the importance of water resources, cooperate in their protection, and seek a balanced and sustainable use of water resources. The five-day seminar runs Until April 7. Topics covered included the challenges of reservoir control, integration of water resources control, the experiences of the Nam Ngum Development Project, sustainable hydropower policy, water supply and hygiene, and climate change. In her seminar, Ms Khempheng said Laos was one of six countries that relied on water from the Mekong River. The Mekong is the twelfth longest river in the world, and more than 60 million people rely on its waters for daily use. Laos is a member of the Mekong International Committee, which has been seeking cooperation on sustainable development since 1995. “The Lao government sees in water resources a great potential for sustainable economic development together with agriculture, hydropower and other economic services. These form one of the government’s strategies for poverty eradication, and promotion from the ranks of the world’s most underdeveloped countries,” she said. Ms Khempheng said the Water Resources and Environment Administration was focusing on improving control and monitoring of water resources to guarantee maximum benefits while reducing negative effects on the ecosystem. Meanwhile, the Nam Ngum is the first river to become a model of multifunction control of water resources in Laos. The project, which began in August 2004, has received support from the Asian Development Bank and the AFD. Similar systems could also be in the pipeline for several other rivers including the Nam Ton, Nam Kading, Nam Xebangfay, Nam XebangHieng and Nam Xekong. During the five-day seminar the Water Resources and Environment Administration also offered other activities, including exhibits at the National University of Laos, drawing and painting pictures for children, and a free early-morning fun run from Patouxay Monument to the Presidential Palace.
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