Remarks at Inception meeting and workshop on Building Disaster and Climate Resilience to Food and Energy Crisis in Lao PDR

Mr. Kindavong Luangrath, Deputy Director General of Social Welfare Department, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

Ms. Tiziana Bonapace, Director, ICT and DRR Division, ESCAP,

Representatives from Line Ministries,

Development Partners,

Colleagues from UN Agencies.

Sabaidee and a very warm welcome to all of you.

I am honored to join you as the UN Resident Coordinator ad interim today at this important workshop focused on building resilience in the face of growing climate and disaster risks. I would like to begin by expressing our deep appreciation to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare for its leadership in advancing climate resilience.

As we gather here today, many provinces in the country are facing floods. Recurrent floods, droughts, and storms are not just environmental events—they are development challenges that threaten lives, livelihoods, and hard-won progress.

These hazards damage critical infrastructure, disrupt ecosystems, and place immense pressure on communities. The agriculture and energy sectors, in particular, are among the most exposed—whether it is floods destroying crops or droughts reducing hydropower output.

Early warning systems and sectoral preparedness are essential. But resilience is more than just reducing risk—it is about safeguarding national development and securing a prosperous future for all.

Your presence here today reflects a shared determination to turn risk into resilience—and to do so through collaboration, innovation, and action.

This workshop marks a pivotal shift toward data-driven resilience. Together, we are equipping stakeholders with downscaled climate projections, digital toolkits, and risk analysis frameworks tailored specifically to the Lao context.

The tools developed under ESCAP’s Risk and Resilience Portal are designed to support local planning with accessible and actionable insights. These innovations are not just technical—they are transformative.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the United Nations system to align with Lao PDR’s national development priorities and global commitments.

The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026 reflects Lao PDR’s vision for inclusive, risk-informed, and climate-resilient development. And we, the UN Country Team in Lao PDR, stand firmly with you in your ambition to build a future that is resilient, equitable, and sustainable.

 Under the Joint Work Plan of the Strategic Outcome on Environment, Climate Change, and Resilience, we are working closely with Government counterparts to advance national priorities. Allow me to briefly highlight six key areas of our support:

• First, ahead of COP30 in November this year, we are supporting the development of Lao PDR’s third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which will articulate the country’s climate ambitions and pave the way for effective implementation and resource mobilization.
• Second, we are collaborating on the National Food System Action Plan to ensure that Lao PDR’s agri-food systems are resilient, inclusive, and sustainable in the face of climate shocks.
• Third, we are working to harmonize climate risk and vulnerability assessments across sectors. By aligning tools and methodologies, we can ensure that risk data are interoperable, comparable, and ready for informed decision-making.
• Fourth, we are contributing to the development of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Action Plan, aligning it with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework, the ASEAN Strategy on Disaster Risk Management, and national legal instruments.
• Fifth, we are supporting efforts to improve the tracking of disaster loss and damage, including methodologies for assessing economic impacts—critical for shaping policies on resilience, risk financing, and recovery.
• And sixth, we are supporting the rollout of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative in Lao PDR, to ensure that every person in the country is protected by timely and effective early warning systems.

Colleagues, over the next three days you will be understanding how powerful data is in the work that you do – I urge you to learn, own and use this knowledge and analysis to accelerate progress on building climate resilience.

Thank you once again for your commitment and collaboration. I look forward to the rich discussions and outcomes of this workshop.

Khob chai lai lai. Thank you.