Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework in Lao PDR: Progress and the Road Ahead

13 October 2023: Marking International Day for Disaster Reduction this year marks the mid-point in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, a global agreement designed to mitigate the impact of disasters and enhance resilience to future risks.

What is the Sendai Framework?

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015- 2030 aims to reduce the impact of disasters and enhance resilience to future risks. The framework outlines four priorities for action: understanding disaster risk, strengthening disaster risk governance, investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and recovery.

Why Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework?

All countries are encouraged to undertake a mid-term review of the Sendai Framework. The mid-term review is an opportunity to assess progress, identify challenges and gaps and make adjustments to ensure the successful implementation of the framework. A delegate from Lao PDR participated in the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the mid-term review of the Sendai Framework in May 2023 in New York. Lao PDR has conducted a mid-term review of the Sendai Framework in 2023 which assesses the progress, challenges and achievements so far as identified under the four main pillars:

1. Understanding Disaster Risk:

• Lao PDR has a data collection system and capacities to collect and analyze data at national and sub-national levels.
• Investments in hydrometeorological stations have improved early warning and preparedness, especially with regard to floods.
• A national climate change vulnerability assessment was conducted in 2019. Sub-national flood and drought maps are currently being prepared, and village-level disaster preparedness and response plans are being developed in some villages under the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

2. Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance:

• Lao PDR has formulated the Disaster Management Law 2019, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2021-2030, and the Resilience Framework 2022-2025. Disaster risk reduction and climate change have been integrated into the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan.
• Capacities of disaster management committees have been strengthened and disaster response exercises are regularly implemented.
• Lao PDR has prioritized the development and implementation of a sub-national disaster risk reduction strategy, with the aim of having a strategy in place by 2026. Three provinces have already developed their own disaster risk reduction strategies and action plans.
• Lao PDR has emphasized the integration of anticipatory actions into disaster risk reduction plans at the sub-national level.

3. Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience:

• Investments in infrastructure development include the construction of flood control systems, prevention of bank erosion and use of renewal energy systems. Several of these initiatives have been implemented in collaboration with international development partners with a special focus on empowering women and youth.
• The country has also developed resilience-building codes and guidelines. The Government of Lao PDR launched the National Financial Protection Strategy against Disaster Risks in 2023 with the aim to strengthen the resilience.

4. Enhancing Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response and Recovery:

• Lao PDR has strengthened its humanitarian logistics support and established mobile logistics centers across the country. This has facilitated timely and efficient response operations.
• The country has also focused on building its capacity to organize larger-scale response operations and has improved its post-disaster recovery assessment tools.

Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future

Lao PDR is one of the 30 pilot countries under the UN Secretary General’s Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) global initiative. The goal of this initiative is to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected by early warnings by 2027. Through this initiative, it is aimed to foster disaster risk knowledge, enhance disaster preparedness and response, improve forecasting and monitoring of early warnings, and enhance dissemination and communication of early warning information. The implementation of the EW4ALL initiative in Lao PDR is expected to contribute to all four pillars of the Sendai Framework.

The Resilience Framework 2022-2025 and the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative in Lao PDR are interconnected. The Resilience Framework offers a comprehensive approach to enhance resilience at all levels, encompassing individuals, communities, and institutions. It underscores the importance of early warning systems as a crucial element of disaster preparedness. The objective of the EW4ALL initiative is to ensure that early warning systems are accessible and effective for everyone, including marginalized and vulnerable populations.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

In a country where the Covid-19 pandemic was followed by the 4F crisis (food, fuel, fertilizer and finance), keeping the momentum on the progress made is a difficult path. This is where initiatives such as the EW4ALL are innovative, bringing together stakeholders so that efforts can be joined up and resources – both financial and technical – can be optimized. Studies around the world have proven that the cost of prevention is much lower than the cost of response and recovery. Such a long-term view for resilience investments in Lao PDR are critical, particularly as climate change is increasing the scale and frequency of disasters in the country and the region.   

Lao PDR’s mid-term review of the Sendai Framework provides five broad recommendations:

• First, it calls on all relevant stakeholders in disaster risk reduction to collaborate and harmonize their efforts in jointly building the capacities of government at all levels.
• Second, it calls on the government to allocate budget towards early warning, preparedness and risk reduction measures so as to mitigate the impact of disasters.
• Third, it calls on public-private partnerships that leverage resources, expertise and networks to facilitate comprehensive and sustainable approaches to reduce disaster risks.
• Fourth, it calls for the need to disseminate risk knowledge at the sub-national levels and among the community which is often the first responder in the case of a disaster event.
• Fifth, it calls for the conduct and regular updating of hazard risk assessments across the country to map existing as well as anticipate future risks for risk informed planning and development.

As the theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction Day suggests, disasters affect the poorest and the most vulnerable the most. Risk reduction is essential in our fight against poverty and inequality and in order to ensure that we leave no one behind – women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic groups, migrant workers and other vulnerable groups.