Laos Completes 31 Small Irrigation Schemes and 17 Road Improvements Across 48 Villages in Two Northern Provinces
A $1.4 million Japanese grant, run by the FAO with Laos's agriculture ministry, has finished 31 small irrigation schemes and 17 road improvements in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay, and 1,150 households earned wages building them.
A project funded by the Government of Japan has finished 31 small-scale irrigation schemes and 17 road improvements in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces in northern Laos, according to the FAO. The work reached 48 villages in seven districts, and 1,150 households earned wages helping to build it.
A $1.4 million Japanese grant, run through the FAO
The Livelihood Resilience in Rural Areas project, known as LRRA, began in November 2023. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations carried it out with Laos's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, using a US$1.4 million grant from Japan. Besides the irrigation and roads, it built one submerged bridge in Luang Prabang.
Water for both rice seasons, and roads to markets
The irrigation schemes now support rice growing in both the rainy and dry seasons in the target communities. The road improvements are meant to give farming families better access to markets. Villagers did the construction themselves through a cash-for-work approach, which put wages in households' hands while the infrastructure went up.
In Beng District alone, 225 households across seven villages took part. They earned a combined 337.5 million Lao kip in wages, and the construction materials and equipment were valued at 607.6 million kip.
Producer groups and a farmer school came with the concrete
The project also supported 20 producer groups and 10 water user groups across Luang Prabang and Oudomxay, set up two cluster-level hubs for gathering farm produce, and ran a Farmer's School on climate-smart agriculture.
“I am confident that these irrigation structures and low-water crossing construction will increase agricultural production, generate income, and improve the quality of life for communities in the target areas.” — Dr. Boundeth Southavilay, Director General, Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment
FAO Representative Kyung-Mee Kim called the completion “a testament to what can be achieved when governments, international organizations, and local communities work hand in hand.” The FAO urged provincial and district authorities to take the lead in managing and maintaining the new structures, but its announcement does not set out specific maintenance plans.
Like what you're reading?
