Lao PDR

COUNTRY INFORMATION

Region: Southeast Asia

Population: 7,379,358

Capital: Vientiane

GDP (Million US$): 18,827

Disaster Risk Profile: Droughts, floods and storms frequently affect Lao PDR and the effects are expected to worsen with climate change

Inform Risk Rating: 3.9

Institutional DRR Setup

National Disaster Prevention and Control Committee (NDPCC)

Chaired by the Vice Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defense, the NCPCC is mandated to define the DRM strategy and provide mechanisms on DRM, facilitate international support and co-operation such as joint-rapid assessment, incident reporting and identifying DRM strategies while taking the lead role on implementing DRM/CBDRM initiatives. The Department of Disaster Management and Climate Change (DDMCC) is the national secretariat to the NDPCC and takes a lead role in data gathering and assessment with relevant data collectors to report to the NDPCC and support in decision-making.

Provincial Disaster Prevention and Control Committee (PDPCC)

Chaired by the Vice Provincial Governor and provincial departments. The PDPCC is mandated to look after disaster risk management at the provincial and district level and coordinate all national/international support in the case of emergencies.

District Disaster Prevention and Control Committee (DDPCC)

Made up on district offices of all sectors and chaired by the District Governor or Vice District Governor, the DDPCC is in charge of coordination CBDRR activities and projects as well as cooperating with NGOs on all CBDRR activities at the village level.

Village Disaster Prevention Units (VDPU)/Village Disaster Prevention and Control Committees (VDPCC)

Represented by village military, security, mass organization, school and health volunteers, the VDPU and VDPCC take lead on implementation village-level CBDRR planning and training pre and post-disaster.

Progress under each Sendai Priority

In order to formulate a strong understanding of disaster risks, the National Risk Profile of Lao PDR was developed in 2010 to provide an overview of the comprehensive profile of hazards and their impact. Under Priority 2, to strengthen disaster risk governance, Lao PDR has established disaster risk management systems across national and sub-national and local levels. with interventions guided by the Disaster Management Country Strategy.

To ensure adequate investment in disaster risk reduction under Priority 3, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has mandated climate change and disaster risk considerations across all public investment review processes. Sector-specific investments have been made in water resource management as well as road sector development. Lao PDR's focus on effective response and building back better, under Priority 4, have been centered around establishing an effective early warning system and enhancing coordination among relevant agencies for effective response. Find out more.

NDMO Contact Information

National Disaster Management Office

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