Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR, 29 June 2026 – Families in Dong Meuang Village, Champhone District, Savannakhet Province, are better protected from floods and riverbank erosion following the completion and handover of new riverbank stabilization infrastructure by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, through the Department of Water Resources (DWR), in partnership with UNDP. The infrastructure addresses recurring flood and erosion risks that have damaged homes, farmland, and livelihoods, particularly since the devastating floods of 2019. The work was carried out under the Integrated Water Resources Management and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (IWRM-EbA) Project, financed by the Global Environment Facility's Least Developed Countries Fund (GEF-LDCF).

The handover ceremony was co-chaired by the Resident Representative of UNDP Lao PDR, alongside the Directors of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment (POAE) from Savannakhet and Luang Prabang provinces. The high-level event brought together senior representatives from provincial and district government agencies, village authorities, development partners, and residents of Dong Meuang Village to celebrate a critical milestone in sub-basin management and climate-resilient rural development.

Dong Meuang village has faced increasing risks of flooding and riverbank erosion for years, with the situation worsening after the devastating floods of 2019. The disaster caused extensive riverbank collapse, accelerated soil erosion, and placed homes, farmland, and livelihoods at growing risk.

A representative of Dong Meuang Village said: 

“Ever since our village was hit by the severe flood in 2019, the rainy season always brought back intense anxiety about flooding and riverbank erosion. Now that the embankment is complete, we feel much more secure and confident. We don't have to live in fear anymore, and we are incredibly grateful to the project.”

Financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF), the riverbank stabilization infrastructure represents a core activity promoting nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches tailored to address long-term environmental vulnerabilities. The primary objective of this structural intervention is to mitigate severe soil erosion, prevent land degradation along critical riparian zones, and significantly strengthen the community's capacity to manage and adapt to increasingly frequent climate-related hazards, specifically severe seasonal floods and prolonged droughts within the critical Xe Bang Hieng River Basin.

The handover of the riverbank goes beyond simply delivering physical civil works; it reflects the joint commitment of the Government of Lao PDR, UNDP and the GEF to empowering local authorities and communities through inclusive, sustainable water governance. By combining ecosystem conservation with physical infrastructure and transferring full operational ownership to the village management committees, the project ensures that local ownership, ecosystems are preserved and protected, biodiversity is maintained, community livelihoods are secured, and resilience against floods is strengthened for the long term.

UNDP remains dedicated to supporting the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Department of Water Resources and provincial authorities in both Savannakhet and Luang Prabang to advance integrated water resource planning, climate change adaptation frameworks, and ecosystem conservation, ensuring a more resilient, adaptive, and sustainable future for vulnerable rural communities across Lao PDR.