WATER, GENDER &
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS: PROGRESS AND
CHALLENGES IN THE
LAO PDR CONTEXT
Context and Relevance of WaterGender Linkages to Achieving MDGs





Important to note that ‘gender’ means both females and
males, while recognizing that women tend to be more
disadvantaged
Poor households rely disproportionately on natural
resources and the environment for their livelihoods and
income
The poor are more vulnerable to human-caused hydrological
changes as well as natural disasters such as droughts and
floods and to the ongoing impacts of climate change
On a broader scale, natural resources such as fisheries play
a larger role in the national income and wealth of less
developed economies
The contribution of water resources to poverty reduction and
human well-being can be expressed through the lens of the
MDGs
Millennium Development Goals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV / AIDS, malaria, and other
diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
ALL DEPEND IN SOME MANNER ON
WATER FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENT!
For example…
MDG 2 & 3 – Gender and Education

Environmental degradation contributes to an increased
burden on women and children (especially girls) in terms
of the time required to collect water and fuel wood,
reducing the time they have available for education or
income-generating activities
Another example…
MDG 4, 5 & 6 – Gender & Health




Up to a quarter of the burden of disease worldwide is linked
to environmental factors – primarily polluted air and water,
lack of sanitation and vector-borne diseases; measures to
prevent damage to health from environmental causes are
as important, and often more cost-effective, than treatment
of the resulting illnesses
Water- and sanitation-related diseases (such as diarrhoea)
are one of the leading causes of under-five child mortality
Damage to women’s health from carrying heavy loads of
water can make women less fit for childbirth and at greater
risk of complications during pregnancy
Malaria, an annual killer of an estimated 1 million children
under age five worldwide, may be exacerbated as a result
of poor water management
Welcome to Lao PDR




Lao PDR is a small country in
the heart of the GMS
Population of 6.21 million
(2008), including a diversity
of ethnic groups
The country is well endowed
with natural resources and
biodiversity
But the country faces numerous challenges: (i) a mainly
agricultural economy surrounded by rapidly industrializing
neighbors; (ii) an increasingly young population with limited
education and skills; (iii) mountainous and sparsely populated
areas beyond the reach of basic services and infrastructure;
(iv) mounting pressure on fragile forest and water resources;
and (v) limited national and local government capacity to raise
revenues, to implement policies, and to enforce laws and
regulations
Socio-economic Development





Lao PDR is classified as a least developed country in terms of
annual per capita income, human development and economic
vulnerability
Human development indicators have however been improving with
Lao PDR now being ranked as a medium human development
country
The Lao economy grew steadily through the 1990s with growth
accelerating over the last decade; allowing for substantial
reduction in the poverty rate in urban areas but has had less
impact on poverty in remote provinces
The National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy (NGPES)
from 2003 was intended to bring about better progress in reducing
poverty
The NGPES includes poverty-focused action plans for four key
sectors – agriculture / forestry, education, health, and transport,
and additionally sets out inter-sectoral priorities for gender equity
and environmental conservation
Human Development Indicators for
Lao PDR – Improving But Fragile
Indicator
1990
2002
4.14 million
5.53 million
2.1%
2.8%
US$271
US$331
Poverty (% population under national poverty line)
48%
39%
Poverty gap ratio
12%
10%
81 (2000)
86 (2007
58%
80%
70.1%
78.5%
Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
134
82
Under-5 morality rate (per 1,000 live births)
170
106
Maternal mortality (per 100,000 live births)
750
530
Access to safe drinking water (% population)
28%
58.1
Population
Population growth (annual %)
Real GDP per capita
Ratio of girls to boys in primary & secondary
school
Net primary enrollment ratio
Youth literacy rate (age 15-24)
Gender Equality in Lao PDR



The 1991 Constitution
supports equal gender
participation in economic,
social and political life
Lao women play
important roles in
agriculture and fisheries
(where women are more
active than men), small
scale business,
manufacturing, and
provision of basic
services (especially
education and health)
Gender norms differ between urban and rural households
in terms of division of labour, livelihood activities and
decision making
Gender-Processes Affecting Women





Women bear a heavier burden of unpaid family work,
including primary responsibility for nutrition, health and
care of their families; poverty threatens their ability to meet
basic family needs
Recent national household survey confirmed that Lao
women and girls work on average more than one hour
more per day than men and boys – the heavy workload on
women and girls can impair their health and make in more
difficult for girls to attend school
Most remote rural Laos do not have access to essential
health services, with women being especially
disadvantaged in accessing basic health services
Female-headed households and children, especially girls,
in these households are particularly at risk of poverty
Health crises can be crippling for poor women and poor
families
Water Resources




Lao PDR is well endowed with water resources, with
average surface water volume of 60,307 m3 per
person/yearly compared to 6,020 m3 in the East Asia and
Pacific Region
Water is an essential part of the life and culture of the Lao
people, and makes an important contribution to the
countries socio-economic development goals –
harnessing of hydropower potential is increasingly
contributing to the economy
Overall, water demand remains low at roughly 260m3 per
person in 2002; water usage is predominantly agricultural
82%, followed by industrial 10% and domestic 8%
Although Lao PDR has abundant water resources,
development pressures and unsustainable exploitation of
water resources Basin-wide has important implications for
MDG achievement
Example… MDG 7 and National
Targets on Water and Sanitation
MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Target 10: Halve by 2015 the proportion of people without access to
safe drinking water
Lao PDR
Baseline
Recent
Status
2015
Target
30: Proportion of population
with sustainable access to
an improved water source
28% (1990)
58% (2002)
80%
31a: Proportion of (urban)
population with access to
improved sanitation
11% (1990)
42% (1998)
70%
Indicators:
Another example… MDG & National
Health Targets (Sub-set)
MDG 4: Reduce child mortality
Target 5: Reduce by two-thirds the under-5 mortality rate
Lao PDR
Baseline
Recent
Status
2015
Target
13: Under-5 mortality rate
(deaths per 1,000 live births
170 (1990)
106 (2000)
55
14: Infant mortality rate
(deaths per 1,000 live births)
134 (1990)
82 (2000)
45
Indicators:
MDG 5: Improve maternal health
Target 6: Reduce by three-quarters the maternal mortality rate
16: Maternal mortality ratio
(deaths per 100,000 live
births)
750 (1990)
530 (2000)
185
Gender Issues in Water & Sanitation





The gender benefits of improved water supply and
sanitation are well recognized
Women and girls in rural Lao PDR, as in most rural
societies, are mainly responsible for collecting water for
household use and can spend a substantial amount of time
at this task if the local water source is a distance away
Women are also primarily responsible for their families’
health, therefore potable water and sanitation services are
extremely important in minimizing illnesses from waterborne diseases
Women’s own health also depends on clean water as
bathing in dirty water increases the risk of reproductive tract
and other infections
The GoL has made considerable progress in recent years in
implementing a community-based, participatory, and
gender-sensitive approach to rural water supply and
sanitation
Water Quantity & Quality





Access to safe drinking water sources, particularly in rural
areas, is a crucial consideration for households
Reduced dry season river and stream flows can be
problematic, affecting water availability, especially in wells,
and increasing access time
Contamination of available water sources is also a concern;
although water quality in rivers within Lao PDR and the
Mekong is considered to be generally good, localized
pollution of water sources does occur
Pressures of rapid demographic growth, socio-economic
development and urbanization are resulting in worsening
water quality; only 35% of liquid effluent disposal to inland
surface waters is currently treated
Poor sanitation practices and low awareness of human
health consequences exacerbates problem (e.g., multiple
uses of the same water source for bathing, clothes washing,
animal watering and drinking water withdrawals)
Water-Related Human Health
Impacts
The quality of surface and
groundwater utilized for
community drinking water
and other purposes is
sometimes poor, leading to
many types of diseases in
both rural and urban areas
 The effects of lack of
access to clean water –
either surface or
groundwater – are mainly
felt at the local level and
particularly affect poor
people in remote areas

Example Economic & Human Costs





In 2006, Lao PDR lost an estimated USD 193 million due
to poor sanitation and hygiene; equivalent to 5.6% of the
GDP
Costs from poor sanitation encompass (i) spending on
health care, (ii) loss of income or production and time
losses associated with disease, and (iii) the value
associated with premature loss of life
The majority of higher water access costs attributed to
poor sanitation can be averted, as well as all the access
time costs
Non-quantified benefits such as comfort, privacy and
security are important, especially for women and the
elderly
Good latrine access at the workplace and in schools has
implications for female participation in traditionally maledominated employment areas and has been shown to
positively affect female enrollment and attendance
Fisheries Also Under Threat




Freshwater resources are increasingly vulnerable as a result
on increasing pressures on water resources in the GMS; this is
worrying given the dependence of many rural communities on
wild fisheries
MDG 1 Poverty & Hunger – Access to wild fisheries and
knowledge of fish farming methods provide rural families with
an important means to feed themselves and earn money
Fish and other aquatic food sources are a key dietary stable
for many rural families in Lao PDR, and also an important
contributor to household incomes; these benefits need to be
protected if hunger and poverty are to be reduced and the
MDG targets met
MDG 2 Education – Income from fisheries provides families
with money for school supplies; school attendance is higher
among families in which women have an independent income
with these children also tending to eat better and be healthier,
which has a positive effect on school performance
Water Resources Management in
the MRB



The MRB countries are constructing or planning numerous
hydropower dams – including main-stem dams – intended
to support industrialization and help lift remote areas out of
poverty
Predicted impacts of proposed hydropower development
include changes in river flow volume and timing, water
quality deterioration, and loss of aquatic and terrestrial
biodiversity
Changes in dry season mainstream flows will also
adversely affect communities situated along the Mekong
River that are dependent on the river to meet their water
supply needs – for example, availability of water during the
dry season is important in terms of household access to
safe drinking water, and changes in flow levels and regimes
additionally affects cultivation success of riverbank gardens
Hydropower Development in the GMS




There are at least 82 existing (or under construction)
large hydropower projects in the GMS, and at least a
further 179 large projects identified as potential sites
With the exception of 2 existing main-stem dams and
another large main-stem dam under construction in
Yunnan (PRC), existing hydropower dams in the MRB
(including those under construction) are all situated on
tributaries (e.g., the new Nam Theun 2 dam in Lao PDR)
Attention is increasing shifting to development of mainstem dams, with 11 dams being considered in Lao PDR
and Cambodia; another 5 main-stem dams are possibly
planned in Yunnan
The total proposed main-stem dam development is
alarming in terms of potential resulting environmental
and social concerns
Hydropower: Costs and Benefits



Ill-considered and
improperly implemented
hydropower generation
projects have the potential
to undermine government
efforts to achieve MDGs
Adverse environmental
and social impacts of,
especially, large dam
projects are well
understood and must be
avoided or properly
mitigated
Yet major projects such as the Nam Theun 2 also provide
crucial revenues for the Lao PDR government, enabling
increased spending on health, education and environmental
programs, including enhanced water supply and sanitation for
smaller towns
Example Environmental Impacts of
Hydropower Projects







Resettlement causing serious
social inequities
Blocking fish migration leading to
decreased catches
Construction affecting water
quantity and quality
Reservoir and riverbank soil
erosion causing impairment to
water quality
Effects on groundwater hydrology
Downstream flow variations
disturbing fisheries
Downstream water quality
impaired (e.g., reservoir biomass)
The Response: Ensuring Equitable
Participation in Water Governance




Although the MRB is not characterized by water shortages,
water issues are being given considerable attention because
of rapidly increasingly Basin development and the transboundary aspect
The main challenge facing policy formulation in the MRB is to
reduce water-related vulnerability – maintaining ecological
health and avoiding social impacts by careful planning of dams
and other development projects and adoption of appropriate
and gender-focused mitigation measures (e.g., MRC has a
gender toolkit for sector development)
The second action to reduce water-related vulnerability in the
MRB is to reach consensus on equitable upstreamdownstream water utilization (including environmental flow
requirements) in the Mekong River
Lacking such actions, concerted efforts by less-developed
countries such as Lao PDR to achieve MDG targets will be
significantly undermined, if not reversed
Thank you!
Chandavanh
Dethrasavong
cdethras@hotmail.com