December 2020, Geneva, Switzerland – Between 2017 and 2019, UNOSAT has been committed to supporting the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) to build resilience to the many hazards the country is exposed to, namely floods and tropical storms – hazards which will only grow in severity and frequency with climate change. The situation is especially urgent as Lao PDR is particularly vulnerable to these threats, as it is ranked one of the poorest or least developed countries in the Asia Pacific region. Thanks to the financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNOSAT has been able to provide its rapid mapping service, technical backstopping activities, and trainings in the country between 2017 and 2019.

Since the beginning of the latest project period, UNOSAT has been assisting Lao PDR and the operations of fellow UN agencies in regards to disaster response. Active support took off in 2018, following the collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric dam on 23 July 2018, caused by unusually heavy rain brought on by the dual threat of the monsoon season and the onslaught of Tropical Storm Son Tinh. The ensuing flash floods affected over 16,000 people in the Sanamxay District of Attapeu Province.

An initial request by the World Food Programme (WFP) the next day, sought UNOSAT’s Rapid Mapping Service to provide satellite imagery analysis to support the humanitarian response in the country’s southern province. UNOSAT triggered the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters obtaining – within two hours of the request – post-event radar images analyzed to highlight the effects of the dam collapse.

Effects of the floods were still felt weeks after the collapse of the dam. In mid-September, upon request from the Government of Lao PDR and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country office, UNOSAT’s Asia-Pacific regional office carried out big data analytics to determine the damage due to flooding. This supported the UNDP-funded Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), in particular, because UNDP saw the need and recognized the benefit of additional imaging facilities for the identification of the exact locations, duration, and impacts of the flood event. The technical backstopping project had two main requests, the first on identifying flooding extent with timeline, and second on identifying potential damages from flooding to support the PDNA field missions. The analysis results and emergency response products assisted in setting the baseline for the PDNA analytical assessment and support activities.

In an interview with Shairi Mathur, a Programme Specialist at UNDP who works in crisis response and recovery, she stated that her team frequently conducts PDNAs, commenting that “the use of geospatial data provided [them] with a baseline to better communicate the extent of the disaster to national stakeholders”.

While activities for the PDNA were underway, it was soon realized that there was a need to further build the capacity of Lao government stakeholders on the analysis of geospatial data and satellite imagery.

To prepare for challenges brought on by natural hazards, Geospatial Information Technologies (GIT), including satellite imagery analysis and remote sensing, play an essential role in understanding the geographic extent and severity of challenges at stake, thereby improving strategic planning processes for emergency response and recovery. Thus, UNOSAT’s technical trainings seek to enhance the capacities of stakeholders to process and understand geospatial information for evidence-based operational planning and decision-making for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

Naturally following the progression of UNOSAT’s rapid mapping services and technical backstopping activities in 2018, UNOSAT and Lao PDR’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications jointly organized a 5-day introductory training between 02 and 06 September 2019, for Lao government officials in the country’s capital, Vientiane. The event, “Introduction to Geospatial Information Technology for Disaster Risk Management” aimed to build participants’ capacities in the use of GIT for DRR, marking the first time UNOSAT delivered a training workshop in Lao PDR. 

This training was designed to provide participants with a theoretical understanding of elementary principles of GIS and Remote Sensing (RS), including how to perform basic spatial analysis, collect data using GPS or smartphones and solve DRR problems by developing decision support tools. Participants were enthusiastic about the course, with one stakeholder commenting “It is useful for our [team] to learn new technology. It is important for Lao people”. Another participant requested, “I want a follow-up course because it is very interesting and useful for my work”.

Early results from UNOSAT’s trainings have already been witnessed, as a few participants have already begun to apply the knowledge acquired from the course. Ms. Phayvone Sengphone, a technical officer working for the Remote Sensing and Information Division of the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE), has relayed that the training has helped hone her skills in GIS data and satellite imagery sourcing and downloading – in addition to equipping her to regularly use Sentinel-1 to extract flood extent data and routinely apply UN-ASIGN in her work.  

Since the training, Phayvone has been applying UN-ASIGN for data collection in the field on two projects she initiated. The first project is a wastewater drainage condition survey in Vientiane city, which manifested after she realized the potential of using smartphones to collect and geotag photos and information to modernize her department’s existing surveys. She has expressed her contentment on how smoothly this new approach has worked and has even proposed her office to apply UN-ASIGN for collecting the connection points of canals in the municipality. This has additional benefits as the Chinese government will allocate two wastewater treatments to Lao PDR, with MONRE carrying the responsibility of assigning suitable sites for their installation.

Through additional interviews with government stakeholders that participated in the technical training, immediate-term outcomes, in regard to enhanced knowledge and skills, were similarly visible and attributable to the workshop.

Mr. Phonesavanh Saysompheng, of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in Lao PDR, relayed that prior to the course capacity to use geospatial solutions for DRR was not high in his office, but that because of the training they feel better equipped to use, produce and analyse digital maps to make DRR plans, further explaining that he would be interested to use his skills in assessing areas to rebuild after floods.

Although such short-term capacities are promising, it will take time to ensure lasting impact. For this reason, follow-up consultations were conducted to assess additional contextual needs. Due to the tropical climate and the unique topographic characteristics, Lao PDR is exposed to a range of natural hazards that often result in disasters, with floods being the major contributor. More than 80 percent of the country’s population live in rural areas, of which two-thirds rely on agriculture – a sector extremely vulnerable to floods.

In recent years, Lao PDR has been experiencing devastating flash floods on a nearly annual basis. UNOSAT has provided rapid mapping services for both 2018 and 2019 flooding events, however, the post-disaster information could not bring sufficient value in terms of reducing losses. It has also proven difficult to obtain satellite images at precise times due to the short duration of flash flooding.

Lao PDR already has a national portal established for early warning systems (EWS), including SOPs for the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). This specific EWS provides monitoring information on current water level and rainfall in two river basins, Sebanghiang and Sabangfai, but currently, no functionality exists for providing timely and actionable information to the authorities and communities. 

Additional departments have sought UNOSAT’s expertise. The Department of Disaster Management (DDM), under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW), is the mandated agency responsible for disaster response. In this regard, DDM has expressed to UNOSAT their need to receive flood forecasting with 3-7 days lead time at the district or community level. For their operational purpose, it is vital that they obtain information on the extent of flood levels that may occur, to determine potential impacts on people and property. The DDM has conveyed their commitment to modernizing their DRR operations based on data and evidence, however, they have commented that their lack of resource personnel is hindering their progress.

During the 2017-2019 project period, UNOSAT has created 27 rapid mapping products for partners and stakeholders in Lao PDR, covering floods, tropical cyclones, and an earthquake. As for capacity building, UNOSAT’s first in-country technical training in Lao PDR benefitted 22 stakeholders from 11 different ministries. This project has presented UNOSAT with opportunities to leverage its internal capacity for critical technical trainings and rapid mapping aimed at enhancing recovery efforts and DRR activities. Going forward, it is imperative that UNOSAT with the support of donors keeps investing in the continued capacity development of the national stakeholders in Lao PDR to fully take advantage of the cutting-edge geospatial technologies for smarter DRR interventions.

For more information, contact UNOSAT at unosat@unitar.org.