The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN IRBM Project Conducts Site Visits and Consultations in Bokeo, Luang Namtha, and Oudomxay Provinces to Inform Pilot Project Development in Nam Tha River Basin

Women from Nam Ngan Village wearing handcrafted products made through their community-based weaving enterprise.

 

Bokeo, Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Lao PDR – The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Regional Project Management Unit, together with representatives from the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub and the Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Lao PDR, conducted site visits and consultations in Bokeo, Luang Namtha, and Oudomxay Provinces on 11-14 July 2026, to identify key issues and potential solutions to guide the development and implementation of pilot projects in the Nam Tha River Basin. 

In Bokeo Province, the team had consultations with representatives of the Paktha District Agriculture and Environment Office and the Water Supply Unit under the Paktha District Public Works and Transportation Office and conducted a site visit to the District’s water supply treatment plant system on 11 July 2026. Priority issues identified were encroachment and slash-and-burn activities in the forest protected area, where the water source is located, and limited capacity of the water treatment plant to supply clean water to surrounding villages in the District. 

Among the potential solutions identified included the strengthening of forest protection including the demarcation of the forest protected area, community awareness-raising and capacity building to protect the water source, expansion of the water supply network, along with a need for a long-term afforestation and reforestation program in the upstream to improve watershed health and ensure long-term water security.       
 

 

(Left) Consultation with representatives from the Paktha District Agriculture and Environment Office and the Water Supply Unit under the Paktha District Public Works in Bokeo Province, Lao PDR. (Right) Site visit at the Paktha District Water Supply Treatment Plant in Bokeo Province, Lao PDR.

 

 

(Left) The village of Paktha District in Bokeo Province, Lao PDR.  (Right) A part of the Nam Tha River Basin, as seen from Bokeo Province, Lao PDR.

 

 

On 12 July 2026, in Luang Namtha Province, the consultations which engaged Indigenous Peoples (Tai Dam, Lanten, and Sida), helped identify key issues and potential solutions at the community level to guide the development and implementation of pilot projects in Nam Ngan Village and Nam Dee Ecotourism site. The discussions provided community members with an opportunity to share their experiences, identify local challenges, and articulate how the Project can best support their livelihood needs which include community-based weaving enterprises, assistance for livestock raising, and support to greenhouse agriculture. 

 

 

(Upper Left) One of the women weavers in Nam Ngan Village.  (Upper Right) A handcrafted shoulder bag produced in Nam Ngan Village featuring intricate, multicolored geometric patterns crafted by women in the community.  (Lower Left) A woman from Nam Ngan Village wearing a traditional headcloth associated with the Tai Dam (Black Tai) Indigenous Peoples community. (Lower Right) Consultation with members of Tai Dam Indigenous Peoples community and other residents of Nam Ngan Village.

 

 

Similar to the findings in Bokeo Province, priority issues identified in Luang Namtha included encroachment and slash-and-burn activities in the upstream areas within the Nam Ha National Protected Area where critical water sources are located. Potential solutions identified through the consultations included long-term programs such as strengthening forest protection through the demarcation of protected watershed areas, enhancing community awareness and capacity on watershed stewardship, and implementing long-term afforestation and reforestation initiatives to restore the forest cover.

 

 

(Left) Group photo with members of Tai Dam Indigenous Peoples community and other residents of Nam Ngan Village after the consultation. (Right) Consultations with Nam Dee Development, the private company managing the Nam Dee Ecotourism Waterfall, and with members from Lanten and Sida Indigenous Peoples community.       
 

 

Following the site visits, a courtesy meeting was held on 13 July 2026 with the Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office of Luang Namtha, which included representatives from the districts and forest, irrigation and land use sectors to further discuss the priority issues and the next steps. Discussions emphasized the need to strengthen the governance mechanisms to regulate the encroachment issues; enhance communication and information dissemination on watershed protection; reinforce the monitoring and evaluation and reporting activities to support the long-term management of the river basin, and identify synergies with existing projects and programs with similar objectives to share methodologies and experiences and facilitate replication in Bokeo and Oudomxay Provinces.       
 

 

Courtesy visit with representatives from the districts and forest, irrigation and land use sectors of the Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office of Luang Namtha.

 

In Oudomxay Province, the team visited the Nam Hin Reservoir and consulted with the Provincial Agriculture Extension Center, the training arm of the Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office, on 14 July 2026. Some of the identified issues include upstream forest encroachment and slash-and-burn agriculture within the watershed, as the Province plans to expand the use of the Nam Hin Reservoir, currently dedicated for irrigation, into a source of domestic water supply in the coming years. Priority interventions discussed included forest restoration, watershed protection through buffer zone demarcation and zoning, community awareness and information dissemination on watershed protection, water quality monitoring, and the establishment of an early warning system.        
 

 

 

(Left) Consultation with representatives from the Provincial Agriculture Extension Center, the training arm of the Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office in Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR. (Right) Site visit at Nam Hin Reservoir in Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR.       
 

 

The consultation also highlighted the role of the Provincial Agriculture Extension Center, the training arm of the Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office, in providing agricultural extension services and technical training for communities. Discussions explored opportunities for the Project to support the updating of the Center’s existing Action Plan, strengthen its training and capacity development program, modernize its facilities, and identify potential partnerships and other sources of funding to support its long-term operations. The discussions also emphasized the Center’s role in supporting agriculture extension activities and community training, particularly on rice, fruit tree and other crop production, livestock raising, and fish farming, as alternative livelihood opportunities to help address forest encroachment and slash-and-burn agriculture. 

 

 

The insights gathered during the series of site visits and consultations will further inform the development and implementation of pilot projects, contributing to the advancement of integrated river basin management in the Nam Tha River Basin.

 

 

 Nam Hin Reservoir located in Oudomxay Province, one of the provinces encompassing Nam Tha River Basin, in Lao PDR.

 

 

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About the Project       
Supported by the Global Environment Facility, the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project is working to establish functional management mechanisms in priority river basins across six ASEAN countries to reduce pollution, sustain freshwater environmental flows, and strengthen resilience to climate change. The regional Project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme Bangkok Regional Hub and executed by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, in collaboration with ASEAN.

All photos by Orange Omengan/PEMSEA