Ministry of Education and Sports and Lao Youth Union officials hold a meeting at the National University of Laos to prepare 96 student volunteers to encourage schoolchildren in eight provinces to return to school next academic year after the summer break. The initiative is in response to the high number of dropouts. The volunteers will teach classes at 32 schools in eight districts from July 10 to August 20. They will give lessons in Lao language, maths and science for students in the third and fifth classes, and organise creative activities to encourage greater student interest in attending school. The scheme is supported by the government and the private sector.                     --Photo Vientiane Mai

Participants pose for a group photograph following a meeting in Vientiane on June 30 to discuss the draft UXO Lao Strategic Plan for 2027-2036. Organised by the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the meeting brought together representatives from government agencies, development partners and donor embassies to review the draft strategy and provide recommendations aimed at strengthening the organisation’s capacity and improving the effectiveness of unexploded ordnance clearance operations over the next decade.

Participants gather for a workshop titled “Unlocking Local Knowledge Production for Global Water Reanalysis”. The workshop, which took place in Vientiane, is part of a five-year project funded by Schmidt Sciences and led by Imperial College London, in partnership with the International Water Management Institute and other collaborating institutions. It brought together researchers, government officials and technical experts to discuss integrating local knowledge, community monitoring and non-conventional data into global water resource studies. Discussions centred on the Xe Bang Hieng and Xe Bang Fai catchments in Savannakhet and Khammuan provinces, selected as pilot sites for the study.

Khammuan provincial Administration Committee members inspect a sluice gate at the Paksimang bridge in Laophokham village, Thakhaek district, to check that water is draining away as intended and there are no risks to local residents.     --Photo Pasaxon