Vientiane: Deputy Minister of Public Works and Transport Ngampasong Muangmany has signed an MoU with President of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to the Lao PDR, Sungsoo Oh, on the expansion and improvement of the water supply system in Lak Sao, Kham Keut district, Borikhamxay Province.

According to Lao News Agency, the signing ceremony took place in Vientiane on August 8 and was attended by Minister of Public Works and Transport Leklay Sivilay and Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Lao PDR, Jung Yung Soo. Under the agreement, the Government of the Republic of Korea will provide funding through KOICA worth USD 6 million for the period 2025-2029.

The project will be implemented by the Water Supply Department of the MPWT in collaboration with Borikhamxay Province, through its Provincial Water Supply Division and Provincial Water Supply State Enterprise. The project’s main components include expanding and improving water supply infrastructure, designing and constructing new water supply facilities, and upgrading existing systems.

Additionally, the project will involve conducting environmental and social impact assessments and clearing unexploded ordnance to ensure safe implementation. It will also focus on building the capacity of central and local officials through training water supply operators and technical managers, empowering communities, promoting water and sanitation education, assessing the safety of local water sources, and providing comprehensive water and groundwater quality data.

Upon completion, the project is expected to provide sufficient water supply to more than 24,000 people by 2040. It aims to improve livelihoods, particularly for women and children, by reducing the need to fetch water, allowing more time for childcare and income-generating activities. The project is designed to achieve a modern water supply system based on the ‘3S’ principles-safety, stability, and sustainability-contributing to the Water Supply Sector Development Strategy 2030, which seeks to ensure that 90% of the population in provincial and district municipalities have access to safe water.