Establishment of Effective Water Resources Management System and Enhancement of Disaster Response Capabilities for Nam Ngum River Basin

The Nam Ngum River Basin (NNRB) in northern Lao PDR is a vital water system that supports livelihoods, ecosystems, and economic activities across multiple provinces. However, increasing demands on water resources, pollution, dam management challenges, and limited coordination among stakeholders have created growing pressure on the basin and heightened risks for downstream communities.

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This project aimed to improve water management and strengthen stakeholder coordination through the establishment of the Nam Ngum River Basin Coordination Committee (NNRBCC). Designed as a collaborative governance mechanism, the NNRBCC supports dialogue between central and provincial agencies and links Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) planning at both macro and local levels.

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From 2022 to 2023, a series of consultative meetings were organised with national and provincial government agencies, development partners, and technical stakeholders to identify key basin challenges, review water policy and conflict management issues, and discuss practical approaches to improving governance in the NNRB.

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As part of the KOICA Project Management Consortium (PMC), JHSUSTAIN served as the governance-building team for the project. JHSUSTAIN supported participatory planning processes, stakeholder consultations, intergovernmental dialogue, and the development of a pilot concept for Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR), contributing to the finalisation of the NNRBCC structure at the national level.