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impact of disasters to socio-economic development in Lao PDR.
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impact of disasters to socio-economic development in Lao PDR Prepared by PHETSAVANG SOUNNALATH- Director of NDMO/Lao PDR for Regional Workshop on Methodologies of Assessment of Socio-Economic Impacts of Disasters in Asia and their Application for Poverty Eradication and Economic Development. Bangkok, 18-20 May 2004.
contents of paper: • disasters in Laos and its impact. • practical issues on assessment of disasters. • mitigation and recovery of disaster impact. • the ECLAC module of assessment.
country information: • population: 5,3 ml (46 ethnic groups) more than 80% practices agriculture depended to rain water • 16 provinces, 1 special region & 1 municipality • 70% of territory is mountain • climate divides into 2 seasons: dry from Oct.-Apr. rainy from May-Sep. • GDP per capita is 300 US$ • around 40% of population is still under poverty line
disasters in Laos & impact • common disasters in Laos are: flood, drought, landside, bank erosion & fire. • From 1966 to recent, in an average 1,4 year country faced with 1 big flood or relatively sever drought. • flood by upraising of Mekong and it distributary’s rivers is occurred almost yearly. Some years flashed flood and landslide were happened in mountainous areas of provinces.
disasters in Laos & impact • flashed flood & landslide are appeared in Laos and effected to population from 10 year ago to now, it have been seen as consequences of some factors: climate change issue, increase of population, open more spaces for cultivation, for settlement, for building infrastructures and etc… • drought is happened in all provinces, in some years flood and drought were occurred in different location of one province.
disasters in Laos & impact • fire is divided into two different types: urban fire and city’s fire. In 2003 in hold country were more than 120 incidents of fire. • the estimate of damages and losses from disasters when they occurred for some years as in 2000, 2001 and 2002 is between 5-10% of GDP. Around 10% of population had been effected • disasters impacts have had to many sectors of society: agriculture, forestry, transport, housing, education, health and others.
disasters in Laos & impact • for population of Laos with low income, especially rural people when faced disaster they become poorer. When disasters reoccurred again in short period of time from previous one, their resources or reserve (small) often had been drained to non. • disaster put effected people in debt, diverted them from their main jobs, forced them out from village to search additional income, mainly selling labor outside, some time closing national border or going to cities • disaster challenged local and government development plans. Many projects had been delayed or postponed, big amount of fund had been relocated, increased government expenditure
disasters in Laos & impact • until now not all of 174 irrigation schemes damaged by flood in 2000 had been repaired, not all reconstruction or rehabilitation works had been paid, while another damaged once already came in 2001 & 2002. • intensifying relief, mitigation activities • recovery and reconstruction became more difficult and needed more funding
practical issues on assessment of disasters • for along time, rapid assessment (RA) of disaster impact had been made when disaster occur, the aim is to assess the damage and possible losses, identify victims for relief work • RA usually made by local social welfare authority who job as direct responsible for mitigation or by Ad-hoc team which was organized in place by the district governor. • RA also made by agriculture officers who work on statistic as flood and drought impact are more related to agriculture
practical issues on assessment of disasters • steps for doing assessment: when disaster occurred in place, local authority (VDPU, DDMC or PDMC) immediately informed to centre • rapid assessment will do in place by related sectors and then prepare brief situation report with some basic information and send to higher level • in doing RA by village’s authority, it was no common format had been used, it coursed difficult to sum up all needed information at decision making level
practical issues on assessment of disasters • confusing often have when disaster strike and growing pressure for confirming of gathered information. For example: during big flood in monsoon season of 1996, the information sent to centre from provinces was not enough for making decision and appealing to international assistance. The government had request UNDP to assist on RA. The team complied of experts of agencies from Rome came to Laos and made assessment. The complete report was made only after one month. • after disaster assessment some times had been organized, but it often coursed big delayed.
mitigation and recovery of disaster impact. • the information from assessment had been used mainly for making plan for relief, mitigation and some for recovery and reconstruction, but still not for preparedness • the information had been recorded of disaster impact, but not had been professionally analyzed impact to every sectors (except agriculture) and to socio-economic development in general • the information is still not serve as sources for making development plans, but it benefit for persuading allocation of limited govt. fund for emergency
the ECLAC module of assessment • ECLAC is a new holistic method of assessment, it useful for planning process with considering the sustainability of development, for DM it has great benefit for enhancing preparedness capability. but • how to adapt ECLAC to other countries ? • how country will adopt ECLAC ? Let’s go forward !
