The government is joining international organisations to work towards water resource management in the Nam Ngum River Basin and create the first integrated working plan for the sustainability of water management in the basin.

More than 100 representatives from water management bodies nationwide, ministries and international organisations yesterday gathered in Vientiane at a workshop on managing water resources of the Nam Ngum River Basin Project and Next Generation Partnerships and Programmes.

The event was co-chaired by Water Resources and Environment Administration (WREA) Head Ms Khempheng Pholsena, French Ambassador to Laos Francois Senemaud and Country Director of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Gil-Hong Kim.

The workshop was organised by WREA and supported by the French Development Agency (AFD), ADB and the Nam Ngum River Basin Sector Project.

“In 2009, a new decree issued by the Prime Minister on the reorganisation of the Lao National Mekong Committee gives a legal basis for the formation of river basin committees,” Ms Khempheng said at the opening of the workshop.

Ms Khempheng, who is also Minister to the Prime Minister's Office, said “This will be another important step in building up our national capacity for integrated planning and management of water resources, including inter-provincial and inter-district coordination on water resources and water resource projects.”

She said she expected to be able to announce soon the formation of a Nam Ngum River Basin Committee as well as the Nam Theun and Nam Kading River Basin committees, with secretariats for each of these committees.

These would serve as pilots for further river basin and sub-basin organisations in priority areas. The role of these committees would focus on coordination between local governments, management of integrated water resources management planning, advice to government on policies and plans, and dispute resolution, she added.

“We hope to initiate very s oon a review and updating of our national water resource legislation. The law on water and water resources was passed in 1996 and needs, now, to be brought up to date and aligned with the new organisational arrangements and approaches which are being taken in the Lao water sector,” she said.

She said integrated river basin planning was also being developed at various levels.

The Mekong River Commission was leading the basin development plan process and other related programmes and initiatives which would help to address strategic, international issues which would significantly influence national development plans and projects.

French Ambassador Francois Senemaud said the workshop was an important event because it marked the completion of two of the components of the Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project and gave an opportunity to report the progress that has been made in strengthening the capacity of the government for integrated water resources management and also to look ahead to further steps in this area.

“The Nam Ngum project has also given us an opportunity to continue our partnership with ADB, which already existed in Laos in the areas of irrigation and water supply,” he said.

“Our programmes and modes of operation are also complementary; ADB is able to make loans for ‘hard' investment while AFD is able to focus on grants which are more suitable for technical assistance and institutional support, making a more attractive package for a range of Lao development needs.”

He said the agreement for Nam Ngum project was signed in June 2003, with AFD contributing about US$5 million and ADB contributing a loan of US$15 million.

The formation of WREA in 2007 has been an important step in the rationalisation of management and regulation of the nation's water and environmental resources. ADB was pleased to be actively involved in the development of the new institution, said Mr Gil-Hong Kim.

“We look forward to working with the team at WREA to further develop the capacity for WREA. We believe WREA will be able to provide the leadership that will be required to ensure Laos continues to utilise these resources for the benefit of the country,” he said.

He said these resources were a vital source of revenue for sustainable development to help transform the lives of the people by removing them from the grip of poverty.