Ministry mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into socio-economic development plan

Ministry of Planning and Investment will mainstream and incorporate disaster risk reduction into the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2025) to minimise impacts, and promote monitoring and advanced warnings for disasters.

Director General of the Department of Planning under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ms Phonevanh Outhavong, highlighted the aims at the Consultation Workshop on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2021-2025 held in Vientiane on Wednesday.

She said the meeting is essential to discuss the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction into the 9th NSEDP because disasters have been impacting development and the livelihoods of people, particularly floods, droughts, and earthquakes.
“Our country has been impacted over the last two to three years, especially the collapse of saddle dam D at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, floods in central, southern and northern provinces as well as animal diseases, pests and the Covid-19 pandemic,” she noted.
Participants were briefed on the draft of the next five-year plan with a focus on six priorities. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the first goal is to achieve sustainable, balanced and quality growth of the nation’s economy. The second is to improve the standard of human resources, research capacity and the use of technology and science, to boost productivity and produce more value-added goods.
The third goal is to improve living standards, and the fourth is to balance environmental protection and disaster risk reduction. The fifth goal is to promote strong and modern internal, regional and international cooperation, and the final goal is to increase the effectiveness of public administration through the rule of law and public unity,
Disaster risk reduction management is involved with the fourth goal of the 9th NSEDP.
Feedback from the meeting will be used or improve the draft 9th NSEDP, with a focus on socio-economic development for the transition from Least Developed Country status following balanced and quality growth, green growth and to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
During the meeting, representatives of the Social Welfare Department under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare also presented the Law on Disaster Management and National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment organised the Consultation Workshop on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2025) with support from the World Bank through the Lao PDR - Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Management Project.

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update August 12, 2020)