Ä¢¹½´«Ã½

This Handbook provides the reader with a baseline understanding of national entities involved in disaster management. This resource offers an overview of the country’s people, geography, and economy and details past disaster responses in addition to the country’s disaster risk reduction policies. It is hoped that this Handbook will support planners or other personnel involved in disaster response in Lao PDR or working with Laos’ disaster management personnel in a response or preparedness project.

The publication finds that Lao PDR faces several natural hazards, including floods, landslides, tropical storms, droughts, and earthquakes. Flooding is the most commonly occurring disaster and affects the most people. While flooding is part of the Mekong River’s annual cycle, flooding has become more frequent and intense due to a combination of climate change and damming rivers for hydropower. While droughts are not as frequently occurring, recent years have seen more intense drought, particularly during El Niño years. The country is already facing rising temperatures, which are projected to continue rising and which will worsen human health, livelihoods, and ecosystems.