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Water supply and sanitation in Laos

Laos is a nation with plentiful surface water and broad rivers, but outside of cities there is little infrastructure to make that water clean and accessible. Very little improvement has been made since the end of the Laotian Civil War in 1975, especially compared to peer nations such as Thailand. By 2015, 76% of Laotians nationwide were estimated to have access to “improved” water (water not taken directly from natural flows), while 71% were estimated to have access to “improved” sanitation (access to a sewage system more advanced than simple latrines).[1]

Map of Mekong River–it covers a wide area of Laos and nearby region
The Mekong River provides an important source of water for rice production in Laos
Theun Hinboun Dam Wall. Dams like these provide a renewable energy source for Laos, but can negatively impact the Mekong River ecosystem

National-average numbers for sanitation obscure some important internal variation between city and rural. Most Laotians get their water from surface flows close to their dwellings, so infrastructure is minimal. Outside of the cities, women and small children are often tasked with carrying drinking water by hand from rural collection sites, which impacts educational attainment, economic growth, and rural quality of life.[2]

In the capital, Vientiane, aging sewage systems work poorly and are overdue for infrastructural improvement. Moreover, there is an ongoing gap between rural and town dwellers, with 60% fewer rural people having access to sanitation, and 38% fewer having access to drinking water. An estimated 23% of Laotians nationwide still habitually defecate on open ground,[3] allowing their waste to wash into rivers and canals. This persistent reality affects agriculture and natural ecosystems as well as human health.

Access to water edit

According to the World Bank data conducted in 2014, Laos has met the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on water and sanitation regarding UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Program. However, as of today, there are approximately 1.9 million Lao population could not access to improved water supply and 2.4 million people without access to improved sanitation due to large inequalities in access between areas that are close to good roads and remote inaccessible locations.[4]

Poor sanitation can affect people's health and national economic development.[5] Annually, poor sanitation and hygiene problem cause three million disease cases in Lao, 6.000 premature deaths and the children in rural areas suffer from poor sanitation is very high at 49 percent in 2011 making 193 million dollar national economic loss per year, equal to 5.6% of GDP.[5] In Laos, there are major incidences[spelling?] of dysentery and diarrhea caused partly by deficient sanitation, improper water supply, and the absence of adequate wastewater treatment facilities as a result of the rapid increase in urban population.[6] Laos people who can get access to sanitation in rural areas account for only 36 percent in 2004. The government in Laos adopted the Millennium Development as prepared collaborative by the United Nations, World Bank and International Mutual Fund to promote water supply and sanitation for its people to access safe drinking and basic sanitation.[7]

Water resources edit

Mekong River edit

The Mekong River plays an important role in the economy of Laos. The Mekong River basin covers nearly 90 per cent of Laos country and drains toward Vietnam.[8] The capacity of Mekong River's basin to sustain food security and water availability in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) is largely hindered by competing economic, ecological, and political interests.[9] In Laos, the government encourages hydro-power investment, which increases pressure on water and sea animal threats. The development of electricity in Laos and export to neighbouring countries are essential for government revenues to reduce poverty.[7] Although hydro-power does not pollute water or air directly, hydro-power reservoir and dam can impact the change in environment, land use, and natural habitats.[10] There are potential environmental consequences of damming water, creating gigantic reservoirs, flooding the entire area, blocking the natural course of the river and constructing power lines.[11] For example, the structure of dam and reservoir interfere fishing migration and alter water temperature and river's flow; as a result. It may injure the life of sea animals and animals on land.[11]

 
Mekong River and the lives of people


People use Mekong River stream directly for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing. However, as the population increases, watercourses that are used simultaneously for water disposal and water supply cause health issues like diarrhea and typhoid.[12] Meanwhile, locals stated that before the upstream dams were built, they could safely drink the Mekong River water. However, after the Xayaburi Dam in Laos was built, the water quality became contaminated. The water quality in Laos become even worse when a new dam was built in Don Sahong, less than 2 kilometers from the town, causing the population get diarrhoea and inhale with bad air quality.[12] Besides, fisheries contribute about 13 percent of Laos national GDP per year.[7] Most population live near the Mekong river found dead fish floating in polluted water in the area between the Don Sahong Dam and Preah Rumkel (Cambodia) which made their only source of water for drinking, cooking, fishing and everyday chores as disaster.[12]

Water quality edit

There is a high chance of getting malaria for those who live around the water which is surrounded by mosquitoes.[7] Through the Millennium Development program, some progresses have been achieved over the past decade in improving healthy system in Laos. The number of health facilities increased by 75 percents, mortality from malaria reduced by 60 percent in rural areas.[7] However, Lao population has been meet healthy living standard.[13] In some rural areas, people are lacked of safe drinking water, chemical runoff, sewage and limited access to health services.[13] For example, malnutrition, non-hygienic lifestyle, poverty are caused by inadequate public health services.[14] Although Lao is one of the dominant renewable water resource in Asia, 25 percent of urban dwellers and 40 percent of rural Lao population are lacked access to safe drinking water. In certain location, villagers have to walk up to 2 kilometer to get access to water.[7]

The environmental quality can essentially affect well-being and quality of live.[15] Poor air quality is associated with premature death, cancer, and long term harm to respiratory and cardiovascular system.[16] Furthermore, environmental health encounters from household air pollution appear to be significantly disproportionate which affect the poor population in Lao PDR.[17] Most than 95 percents of Lao population use coal and wood for everyday cooking which can cause indoor air pollution and health issues with a life expectancy of 56 years in 2008.[7] Recognizing this potential environmental health issue, the government starts pay close attention to poverty embraces important environment service such as access to safe water and sanitation.[7]

Drinking water sources that are contaminated with harmful chemicals and human waste can cause diseases in children such as gastrointestinal illness, and developmental affects such as learning disorders and cancer.[18] UNICEF works in Lao PDR to help ensure children and families in homes and schools have access to clean water and sanitation facilities.[19] Many rural communities are unaware of appropriate sanitation and hygiene practices.[19] Approximately 24% of the population practice open defecation, and only 28% of children's faces are disposed of safely.[20]

Hazardous chemicals that include heavy metals such as chromium, copper, zinc and persistent organic pollutants such as furans, dioxins and poly-chlorinated phenytoin are widely banned while Lao population are not fully aware of its catastrophic effects.[19] As the population in Lao keeps growing, heavy mental contamination from industrial activities increases which lead to a concern toward rudimentary metal smelting facilities in the country and mining activities. Therefore, the surface water quality in downstream of mining and industrial activities become a potential problem for Laos well being.[19]

The quality of Mekong River can be assessed by diverse chemical and physical parameters.[21] For example, poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the essential types of persistent pollutants of toxicity from natural resources of water and sediment.[21] According to Environmental Quality Standards, the environmental distribution of PAHs in tropical Asia has become a concern of this region as the growth of industrialization and urbanization due to a frequent rain inherent to tropical Asia in which facilitate the transfer of leaked petroleum from land to rivers and coastal water.[21]

In most urban areas in Lao PDR, the pollutants from private properties wash into drains. Little, dirt and rubber compounds from metal, glass and plastic from properties contribute to sediments and nutrients.[22]

The major problems associate toward national goal in the Lao water and sanitation involve the absence of national programs to scale up rural hygiene education, inefficient annual budget allocation in rural areas, and weak sector monitoring for rural water supply as well as sanitation. Therefore, in order to improve water and sanitation target for 2020, the Implementation of Water Supply Sector Investment Plan and the National Plan of Action for Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene; capital investment is notably needed to finance the operations.[4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Ensure access to water and sanitation for all http://www.la.one.un.org/sdgs/sdg-6-water-and-sanitation 2018-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Water, Sanitation & Hygiene and Climate Change Resilience https://www.unicef.org/laos/wash
  3. ^ . Archived from the original on 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  4. ^ a b "Water Supply and Sanitation in Lao PDR" (PDF). www.worldbank.org. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  5. ^ a b Van Minh, Hoang; Nguyen-Viet, Hung (18 October 2011). "Economic Aspects of Sanitation in Developing Countries". Environmental Health Insights. 5: 63–70. doi:10.4137/EHI.S8199. ISSN 1178-6302. PMC 3212862. PMID 22084575.
  6. ^ "Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 Report" (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h (PDF). World Bank. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Mekong River Basin" (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  9. ^ Olson, Kenneth R.; Morton, Lois Wright (2018-03-01). "Water rights and fights: Lao dams on the Mekong River". Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 73 (2): 35A–41A. doi:10.2489/jswc.73.2.35A. ISSN 0022-4561.
  10. ^ Varma, C. V.J. (31 January 2011). "Water and Hydro Power". Hydro Nepal: Journal of Water, Energy and Environment. 7: 17–19. doi:10.3126/hn.v7i0.4228. ISSN 1998-5452.
  11. ^ a b Discover, Kids. "What's Good and What's Bad about Hydropower? - Kids Discover". Kids Discover. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Mekong River – Water Quality Woes – Scientists for the Mekong". www.scientists4mekong.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  13. ^ a b "LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC" (PDF). 2001–2010. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Success Factors for Women's and Children's Health" (PDF). Lao PDR, Ministry of Health. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Chapter 5: environment, health and quality of life". European Environment Agency. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  16. ^ "Environmental Quality | Healthy People 2020". www.healthypeople.gov. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  17. ^ Mengersen, K.; Morawska, L.; Wang, H.; Murphy, N.; Tayphasavanh, F.; Darasavong, K.; Holmes, N. S. (15 September 2010). "Association between indoor air pollution measurements and respiratory health in women and children in Lao PDR". Indoor Air. 21 (1): 25–35. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0668.2010.00679.x. ISSN 0905-6947. PMID 20846211.
  18. ^ "Drinking Water Contaminants" (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d "Lao PDR Environment Monitor" (PDF). World Bank. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  20. ^ "Economic Assessment of Sanitation Interventions in Lao People's Democratic Republic" (PDF). Water and Sanitation Program. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  21. ^ a b c Keenan, Helen E.; Bangkedphol, Sornnarin; Sakultantimetha, Arthit; Songsasen, Apisit (November 2010). "The ecological complexity of the Thai-Laos Mekong River: II. Metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) monitoring, modelling and environmental fate". Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 45 (13): 1674–1680. doi:10.1080/10934529.2010.513208. ISSN 1532-4117. PMID 20853200. S2CID 37209481.
  22. ^ "State of water : Laos". www.wepa-db.net. Retrieved 30 November 2018.

Further reading edit

water, supply, sanitation, laos, laos, nation, with, plentiful, surface, water, broad, rivers, outside, cities, there, little, infrastructure, make, that, water, clean, accessible, very, little, improvement, been, made, since, laotian, civil, 1975, especially,. Laos is a nation with plentiful surface water and broad rivers but outside of cities there is little infrastructure to make that water clean and accessible Very little improvement has been made since the end of the Laotian Civil War in 1975 especially compared to peer nations such as Thailand By 2015 76 of Laotians nationwide were estimated to have access to improved water water not taken directly from natural flows while 71 were estimated to have access to improved sanitation access to a sewage system more advanced than simple latrines 1 Map of Mekong River it covers a wide area of Laos and nearby regionThe Mekong River provides an important source of water for rice production in LaosTheun Hinboun Dam Wall Dams like these provide a renewable energy source for Laos but can negatively impact the Mekong River ecosystemNational average numbers for sanitation obscure some important internal variation between city and rural Most Laotians get their water from surface flows close to their dwellings so infrastructure is minimal Outside of the cities women and small children are often tasked with carrying drinking water by hand from rural collection sites which impacts educational attainment economic growth and rural quality of life 2 In the capital Vientiane aging sewage systems work poorly and are overdue for infrastructural improvement Moreover there is an ongoing gap between rural and town dwellers with 60 fewer rural people having access to sanitation and 38 fewer having access to drinking water An estimated 23 of Laotians nationwide still habitually defecate on open ground 3 allowing their waste to wash into rivers and canals This persistent reality affects agriculture and natural ecosystems as well as human health Contents 1 Access to water 2 Water resources 2 1 Mekong River 3 Water quality 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingAccess to water editAccording to the World Bank data conducted in 2014 Laos has met the Millennium Development Goal MDG targets on water and sanitation regarding UNICEF WHO Joint Monitoring Program However as of today there are approximately 1 9 million Lao population could not access to improved water supply and 2 4 million people without access to improved sanitation due to large inequalities in access between areas that are close to good roads and remote inaccessible locations 4 Poor sanitation can affect people s health and national economic development 5 Annually poor sanitation and hygiene problem cause three million disease cases in Lao 6 000 premature deaths and the children in rural areas suffer from poor sanitation is very high at 49 percent in 2011 making 193 million dollar national economic loss per year equal to 5 6 of GDP 5 In Laos there are major incidences spelling of dysentery and diarrhea caused partly by deficient sanitation improper water supply and the absence of adequate wastewater treatment facilities as a result of the rapid increase in urban population 6 Laos people who can get access to sanitation in rural areas account for only 36 percent in 2004 The government in Laos adopted the Millennium Development as prepared collaborative by the United Nations World Bank and International Mutual Fund to promote water supply and sanitation for its people to access safe drinking and basic sanitation 7 Water resources editMekong River edit The Mekong River plays an important role in the economy of Laos The Mekong River basin covers nearly 90 per cent of Laos country and drains toward Vietnam 8 The capacity of Mekong River s basin to sustain food security and water availability in the Lao People s Democratic Republic PDR is largely hindered by competing economic ecological and political interests 9 In Laos the government encourages hydro power investment which increases pressure on water and sea animal threats The development of electricity in Laos and export to neighbouring countries are essential for government revenues to reduce poverty 7 Although hydro power does not pollute water or air directly hydro power reservoir and dam can impact the change in environment land use and natural habitats 10 There are potential environmental consequences of damming water creating gigantic reservoirs flooding the entire area blocking the natural course of the river and constructing power lines 11 For example the structure of dam and reservoir interfere fishing migration and alter water temperature and river s flow as a result It may injure the life of sea animals and animals on land 11 nbsp Mekong River and the lives of peoplePeople use Mekong River stream directly for drinking cooking bathing and washing However as the population increases watercourses that are used simultaneously for water disposal and water supply cause health issues like diarrhea and typhoid 12 Meanwhile locals stated that before the upstream dams were built they could safely drink the Mekong River water However after the Xayaburi Dam in Laos was built the water quality became contaminated The water quality in Laos become even worse when a new dam was built in Don Sahong less than 2 kilometers from the town causing the population get diarrhoea and inhale with bad air quality 12 Besides fisheries contribute about 13 percent of Laos national GDP per year 7 Most population live near the Mekong river found dead fish floating in polluted water in the area between the Don Sahong Dam and Preah Rumkel Cambodia which made their only source of water for drinking cooking fishing and everyday chores as disaster 12 Water quality editThere is a high chance of getting malaria for those who live around the water which is surrounded by mosquitoes 7 Through the Millennium Development program some progresses have been achieved over the past decade in improving healthy system in Laos The number of health facilities increased by 75 percents mortality from malaria reduced by 60 percent in rural areas 7 However Lao population has been meet healthy living standard 13 In some rural areas people are lacked of safe drinking water chemical runoff sewage and limited access to health services 13 For example malnutrition non hygienic lifestyle poverty are caused by inadequate public health services 14 Although Lao is one of the dominant renewable water resource in Asia 25 percent of urban dwellers and 40 percent of rural Lao population are lacked access to safe drinking water In certain location villagers have to walk up to 2 kilometer to get access to water 7 The environmental quality can essentially affect well being and quality of live 15 Poor air quality is associated with premature death cancer and long term harm to respiratory and cardiovascular system 16 Furthermore environmental health encounters from household air pollution appear to be significantly disproportionate which affect the poor population in Lao PDR 17 Most than 95 percents of Lao population use coal and wood for everyday cooking which can cause indoor air pollution and health issues with a life expectancy of 56 years in 2008 7 Recognizing this potential environmental health issue the government starts pay close attention to poverty embraces important environment service such as access to safe water and sanitation 7 Drinking water sources that are contaminated with harmful chemicals and human waste can cause diseases in children such as gastrointestinal illness and developmental affects such as learning disorders and cancer 18 UNICEF works in Lao PDR to help ensure children and families in homes and schools have access to clean water and sanitation facilities 19 Many rural communities are unaware of appropriate sanitation and hygiene practices 19 Approximately 24 of the population practice open defecation and only 28 of children s faces are disposed of safely 20 Hazardous chemicals that include heavy metals such as chromium copper zinc and persistent organic pollutants such as furans dioxins and poly chlorinated phenytoin are widely banned while Lao population are not fully aware of its catastrophic effects 19 As the population in Lao keeps growing heavy mental contamination from industrial activities increases which lead to a concern toward rudimentary metal smelting facilities in the country and mining activities Therefore the surface water quality in downstream of mining and industrial activities become a potential problem for Laos well being 19 The quality of Mekong River can be assessed by diverse chemical and physical parameters 21 For example poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs are one of the essential types of persistent pollutants of toxicity from natural resources of water and sediment 21 According to Environmental Quality Standards the environmental distribution of PAHs in tropical Asia has become a concern of this region as the growth of industrialization and urbanization due to a frequent rain inherent to tropical Asia in which facilitate the transfer of leaked petroleum from land to rivers and coastal water 21 In most urban areas in Lao PDR the pollutants from private properties wash into drains Little dirt and rubber compounds from metal glass and plastic from properties contribute to sediments and nutrients 22 The major problems associate toward national goal in the Lao water and sanitation involve the absence of national programs to scale up rural hygiene education inefficient annual budget allocation in rural areas and weak sector monitoring for rural water supply as well as sanitation Therefore in order to improve water and sanitation target for 2020 the Implementation of Water Supply Sector Investment Plan and the National Plan of Action for Rural Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene capital investment is notably needed to finance the operations 4 See also editDams and reservoirs in Laos Mekong Health in LaosReferences edit Ensure access to water and sanitation for all http www la one un org sdgs sdg 6 water and sanitation Archived 2018 10 22 at the Wayback Machine Water Sanitation amp Hygiene and Climate Change Resilience https www unicef org laos wash United Nations Lao PDR United Nations Lao PDR SDG 6 Water and sanitation Archived from the original on 2018 10 22 Retrieved 2018 11 02 a b Water Supply and Sanitation in Lao PDR PDF www worldbank org Retrieved 10 December 2018 a b Van Minh Hoang Nguyen Viet Hung 18 October 2011 Economic Aspects of Sanitation in Developing Countries Environmental Health Insights 5 63 70 doi 10 4137 EHI S8199 ISSN 1178 6302 PMC 3212862 PMID 22084575 Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 Report PDF Retrieved 29 November 2018 a b c d e f g h Lao PDR Environment Monitor PDF World Bank Archived from the original PDF on 15 December 2017 Retrieved 29 November 2018 Mekong River Basin PDF Retrieved 29 November 2018 Olson Kenneth R Morton Lois Wright 2018 03 01 Water rights and fights Lao dams on the Mekong River Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 73 2 35A 41A doi 10 2489 jswc 73 2 35A ISSN 0022 4561 Varma C V J 31 January 2011 Water and Hydro Power Hydro Nepal Journal of Water Energy and Environment 7 17 19 doi 10 3126 hn v7i0 4228 ISSN 1998 5452 a b Discover Kids What s Good and What s Bad about Hydropower Kids Discover Kids Discover Retrieved 30 November 2018 a b c Mekong River Water Quality Woes Scientists for the Mekong www scientists4mekong com Retrieved 30 November 2018 a b LAO PEOPLE S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC PDF 2001 2010 Retrieved 29 November 2018 Success Factors for Women s and Children s Health PDF Lao PDR Ministry of Health Retrieved 29 November 2018 Chapter 5 environment health and quality of life European Environment Agency Retrieved 30 November 2018 Environmental Quality Healthy People 2020 www healthypeople gov Retrieved 30 November 2018 Mengersen K Morawska L Wang H Murphy N Tayphasavanh F Darasavong K Holmes N S 15 September 2010 Association between indoor air pollution measurements and respiratory health in women and children in Lao PDR Indoor Air 21 1 25 35 doi 10 1111 j 1600 0668 2010 00679 x ISSN 0905 6947 PMID 20846211 Drinking Water Contaminants PDF Retrieved 29 November 2018 a b c d Lao PDR Environment Monitor PDF World Bank Retrieved 29 November 2018 Economic Assessment of Sanitation Interventions in Lao People s Democratic Republic PDF Water and Sanitation Program Retrieved 29 November 2018 a b c Keenan Helen E Bangkedphol Sornnarin Sakultantimetha Arthit Songsasen Apisit November 2010 The ecological complexity of the Thai Laos Mekong River II Metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons PAHs monitoring modelling and environmental fate Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 45 13 1674 1680 doi 10 1080 10934529 2010 513208 ISSN 1532 4117 PMID 20853200 S2CID 37209481 State of water Laos www wepa db net Retrieved 30 November 2018 Further reading editS Lahiri and S Chanthaphone Water sanitation and hygiene a situation analysis paper for Lao PDR International Journal of Environmental Health Research 2010 https doi org 10 1080 0960312031000102868 World Bank 2016 Synthesis report on technical assistance sanitation marketing in Lao People s Democratic Republic and supporting scaling up rural sanitation through the community led total sanitation English Washington D C World Bank Group http documents worldbank org curated en 139801467289296110 Synthesis report on technical assistance sanitation marketing in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and supporting scaling up rural sanitation through the community led total sanitation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Water supply and sanitation in Laos amp oldid 1171441016, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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