The workshop was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The workshop comprised three components, consistent with Laos' priorities on climate change adaptation, such as the National Adaptation Programme of Action (2009) and the National Early Warning Strategy (2011) among others.
One of the project's components aims at rehabilitating agro-meteorological facilities, such as weather stations in the major agricultural production areas, laboratories and instruments to allow the gathering of data and information of early warning and climate information services. Such investments are key to generate reliable information to influence decision making.
The project also envisions the strengthening of the technical capacity of government staff at the national, provincial and district levels. Technical staff from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology will be trained accordingly to analyze and interpret meteorological information to develop materials such as seasonal climate forecasts.
Similarly, the development of a country-wide database on Land Resource Information Management Systems (LRIMS) and Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) will help the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) to conduct assessments of climate change impacts on land, soil, water and crops.
These resourceful tools will guide the government to prepare for potential food insecurity risks and develop climate responsive policies.
The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) has funded this project with US$5.5 million. It is expected to be implemented over four years starting from mid-2016.
Currently the project is in a preparation phase which will conclude by July 2015 with a detailed and comprehensive project document. This validation workshop serves as an opportunity to include inputs and recommendations from past consultations and define the project results.
FAO has been operational in the Lao People's Democratic Republic since 1975, delivering policy and technical development assistance through approximately 250 projects to date.
Guided by the 2013-2015 Country Programming Framework for the Lao PDR, one of FAO's priorities is to enhance the capacity of the Government and communities to adapt and mitigate climate change and reduce natural disaster vulnerabilities related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Source: Vientiane Times | 1 May 2015
