A dissemination workshop of the project titled “Strengthening Groundwater Governance in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas of the Lower Mekong Region (GIRA)” was successfully concluded on 7th August 2023. The workshop has been organized by Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, in collaboration with Northern Agriculture and Forestry College (NAFC), Lao PDR. The GIRA project is funded by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)-Asia under SUMERNET 4 All Programme.
Prof. Sangam Shrestha, the Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology at AIT, as well as the Principal Investigator of the GIRA project, extended a warm welcome to all participants during the inaugural address. Furthermore, Prof. Shrestha also highlighted the objectives of the project and workshop objectives, which are to share the project’s findings, seek the stakeholders’ feedback, and strengthen the understanding of groundwater issues in Lao PDR for effective groundwater governance and sustainable management. Subsequently, Ms. Sushmita Mandal, a Senior Research Fellow at SEI Asia, delivered an opening remark. Ms. Mandal expressed gratitude to all attendees for their presence at this significant workshop and acknowledged the diligent efforts of the organizing team.
Dr. Saurav KC and Mr. Tungish Uprety presented the project findings supported by Dr. Outhai Soukkhy and Ms. Phonevilay Soukkhy. The insights presented during the workshop received widespread acceptance and validation from all attendees. The event also aimed to capture and comprehend stakeholders’ perspectives concerning challenges, governance, and management of groundwater resources in Lao PDR. The workshop identified critical issues pertaining to groundwater resources in Lao PDR, including the inadequate characterization (mapping) of groundwater resources, groundwater quality concerns, and the imperative for bolstering institutional capacity to facilitate effective groundwater governance and management.
Thirty diverse groups of participants attended the workshop representing government organizations [Department of Water Resources (DWR), Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE), NAFRI, NAFC), intergovernmental organizations [Mekong River Commission (MRC)], international research institutes [International Water Management Institute (IWMI – Lao PDR), SEI, AIT], civil society organizations [Green Community Alliance (GCA)], village heads (from Sangthong district) and the Lao Farmer Network.
The GIRA project team also did field visits during (August 5 and 6) to understand the field situation before the workshop. Some of the glimpses of the field visit are attached below.
