Inclusive climate resilient rural WASH services - Lao PDR
Lao PDR,
ongoing
Strengthening local government and private sector capacities to adapt and integrate climate change resilience within inclusive area-wide rural WASH services and systems development.
Inclusive climate resilient rural WASH services - Lao PDR is part of an ongoing multi-country programme partnership with the Government of Australia’s Water for Women Fund implemented by SNV with partners in Bhutan, Lao PDR, and Nepal.
The project builds on earlier SNV collaborative work with the governments of Australia and Lao PDR in the Savannakhet province, which resulted in more than 139,000 residents ending open defecation practice. In partnership with the district governments of Atsaphone, Champhone, and Phalanxay, UTS-ISF, and CBM Australia, the project contributes to:
development of climate-resilient water safety plans to support communities to effectively manage risks to their water supply,
ensuring all three districts become open-defecation free and guide a multi-stakeholder consultation to develop clear pathways to progress towards resilient and safely managed sanitation
further strengthening inclusive processes and support mechanisms that facilitate equitable access to resilient WASH services for vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, lowest income households and minority ethnic groups.
Residents in front of their toilet show the level of flooding in their area, which can reach as high as two meters. When flooding occurs, toilets become unusable.
Priority areas for research, knowledge generation, and learning include, (1) exploring diverse cost models, planning, and budgeting methods to make climate-resilient WASH systems more affordable, (2) co-creating and piloting last-mile group-focused WASH programming, and (3) documenting experiences and lessons in promoting transformative leadership focused on gender-inclusive and climate-resilient WASH approaches.
