Stakeholder Forum of the Sub-sector Working Group on Irrigation (SSWG-IR): the opportunities and potential of harnessing geographic information systems for irrigation management and development in Lao PDR

dc.title: Stakeholder Forum of the Sub-sector Working Group on Irrigation (SSWG-IR): the opportunities and potential of harnessing geographic information systems for irrigation management and development in Lao PDR
dc.contributor.author: Inphonephong, Souphalack; Vongxay, V.; Bounnavong, K.; Phiengvilayvanh, T.
dcterms.abstract: The first semi-annual Stakeholder Forum of 2025 of the Sub-sector Working Group on Irrigation (SSWGIR) was held in Vientiane Capital, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). It was organized by the Department of Irrigation (DOI) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) together with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The event was attended by 80 participants from government, academia, development organizations, farmer groups, and enterprises from the banking, insurance, hydropower, and mining sectors.

The forum serves as a strategic coordination platform that offers high level support to the MAF’s Sectoral Working Group on Agriculture and Rural Development (SWG-ARD) and regular coordination among key stakeholders for more effective resource utilization and synergy enhancements for different irrigation development agenda topics or issues. The specific objectives of this particular event are to facilitate discussions on the opportunities and potential of harnessing geographic information systems (GIS) for irrigation management and development in the Lao PDR and to disseminate the new Irrigation Development Strategic Plan from 2026-2030 and Vision to 2040. The event also offered useful thoughts for DOI’s GISbased database establishment plan by reflecting on lessons learnt from other sectors.