Sui Reservoir in Champhon district, Savannakhet province, is a potential water resource for agriculture and improved livelihoods.

Voices from Savannakhet: A call to action to turn vulnerability into a national food hub

Savannakhet province is a land of paradox. It’s the “rice bowl” of Laos, providing a quarter of the country’s rice production, yet its farmers live on a precarious edge. Climate change is not a theoretical threat here; it is an annual reality of floods and droughts that devastate livelihoods.
But a new narrative is taking shape, built on resilience, innovation, and a growing determination to turn this vulnerability into a sustainable advantage.
For generations, the people of Savannakhet have lived by the predictability of the seasons. Now, that rhythm is broken.
“In the past, the rain arrived on time, but now there is no time, it can come at any time, even in December,” says a 54-year-old farmer from Don Yaeng village in Champhon district, Mr Toi Vongda.

His words reflect the shared experience of countless families whose survival depends on predictable weather. 
The vice governor of Champhon district, Savannakhet province Mr Khamta Sinnasone, explains that the district’s geography makes floods and droughts “unavoidable”.
While villagers have developed deep-rooted resilience, moving their belongings and livestock to safety, the damage to infrastructure is a yearly setback. The poorest families, living on high, dry land with poor soil, face an even greater challenge. For them, traditional rice farming is simply not an option.
“If it is a normal annual flood, villagers can adapt well,” Mr Khamta says. “They can grow dry-season rice; where it is dry, we encourage them to plant other crops and build borewells.” But he cautions that “more severe and unexpected occurrences bring greater impacts and hardship for villagers”.
This isn’t a story of defeat, but one of a community and its leaders recognising the challenges and actively seeking solutions. The answers, they believe, lie in a combination of new technologies and age-old wisdom.
For Mr Toi, a lifeline came in the form of an irrigation system and improved rice seeds.
“Even though the weather is presently more severe and unexpected, life is better compared to my parents’ time when we were starving,” he says.
Now, his family has a surplus to sell. The improvements have allowed him to grow rice twice a year, providing a crucial safety net if the wet season crop fails. The new seeds mature in about 115 days, compared to the old 140-day varieties.
With two harvests and improved seeds, Mr Toi’s rice production has doubled. He adds that while most households in his village have adapted well, other areas with lower land and no irrigation face tougher challenges.
Officials in Champhon district recognise that while farmers are resilient, they need more than just seeds and temporary relief.
Head of the Agriculture and Forestry Office, Champhon district, Savannakhet province, Mr Khonesavanh Douangmala says “Floods and drought are real issues here. In dry areas, if we cannot address the water issue, we cannot solve the problem.”
He adds, “As I work closely with them, with the right understanding, some local farmers have even donated their own land to the community to build reservoirs.”

He also notes that in some areas there are damaged tunnels and reservoirs. “It could be a solution if we can restore old reservoirs and build new, small-scale ones where none are available to ensure a steady water supply during droughts and manage excess water during floods.”
Deputy Head of the Natural Resource and Environment Office of Champhon district, Savannakhet province, Ms Keo Oudone Chunlamontry, says that 60 of the district’s 101 villages are flood-prone. She believes that because locals are accustomed to rice farming, they continue to do so, even in vulnerable areas.
She says “I think we need help from the government, development projects or researchers to identify which areas are suitable for rice and which are best for specific crops that are resilient to flooding.”
She added that innovative, low interest funding and market access are essential.
Now, a new initiative is being piloted. Farmers are taking part in a pilot project involving carbon credits, which could allow them to sell credits to a foreign company. If successful, this could provide a direct financial benefit, incentivising sustainable practices and providing a new layer of resilience for the entire district.
Despite its vulnerability, Savannakhet’s large land area remains a source of immense potential. It’s clear that with strategic management, particularly in water systems, agricultural innovative knowledge and zoning, and market access, the province can become an even more vital food hub for Laos.
This is a call to action for policymakers and development organisations to invest in practical, long-term solutions that go beyond short-term aid.
It’s about empowering farmers to transform a vulnerable landscape into a resilient and productive food powerhouse, ensuring that the “rice bowl” of Laos not only survives but flourishes for generations to come.
The information was gathered while the reporter accompanied researchers on a field visit to Savannakhet and attended their project’s closing workshop in Vientiane. The research project, titled, “Strengthening climate resilience of agricultural livelihoods in Savannakhet Province through Participatory Ecosystem-based Adaptation.” The project is part of the Mekong Thought Leadership and Think Tanks Network Program (MTT) and is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It was led by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in partnership with the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the National University of Laos, Kasetsart University of Thailand, and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).
The article is produced through the Media Research Partnership Fund coordinated by SEI Asia with the generous support of DFAT, Government of Australia.

By Keoxomphou Sakdavong
(Latest Update September 16, 2025)