Your search found 10 records
1 Chinvanno, S.; Souvannalath, S.; Lersupavithnapa, B.; Kerdsuk, V.; Thuan, N. 2008. Strategies for managing climate risks in the Lower Mekong River Basin: a place-based approach. In Leary, N.; Adejuwon, J.; Barros, V.; Burton, I.; Kulkarni, J.; Lasco, R. (Eds.). Climate change and adaptation. London, UK: Earthscan. pp.228-246.
Climate change ; Risk management ; River basins ; Rice ; Rainfed farming / South East Asia / Laos / Thailand / Vietnam / Lower Mekong River Basin / Vientiane Plain / Savannakhet Province / Ubonratchathani Province
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 304.25 G000 LEA Record No: H040842)
2 Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Thepphavong, B.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Bounvilay, B.; Noble, Andrew; Ongkeo, O.; Johnston, Robyn; Phongpachith, C. 2011. Is there enough water in the Vientiane Plain? a water balance assessment of the Lower Nam Ngum Basin. Project report prepared by IWMI for CSIRO - AusAID Research for Development Alliance under the project "Exploring Mekong Region Futures". Vientiane, Laos: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 25p.
Water balance ; Assessment ; Water demand ; Water supply ; River basins ; Water power ; Dams ; Irrigated land ; Pumping ; Time series analysis / Laos / Vientiane Plain / Nam Ngum River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044647)
(1.14 MB)
In Lao PDR, one of the less developed countries, water represents a valuable natural resource via the development of hydropower dams and irrigation schemes. In the lower part of the Nam Ngum River Basin, the Vientiane plain is one of the largest food production areas of the country and the largest irrigated area in Lao PDR. While food demand is expected to continue to increase in the future, hydropower dams are under rapid development in the upper part of the basin, modifying the seasonal distribution of the river flow regimes. This study aims at assessing the current water supply and agricultural water demand in the Vientiane Plain and concluding whether the water resource is or may become a limiting factor for food production. The agricultural water demand is assessed from two types of data (characteristics of large-scale pumping stations and official statistics on irrigated areas) and using remote sensing analyses. Flow measurements of the Nam Ngum River were used to quantify the water supply. A 43-year time series (1962-2004) of daily river discharge was reconstructed from actual discontinuous data recorded in the river reach where most of the pumping stations are found. Distinctions in the water resource assessment were made between pristine conditions (before the construction of the hydropower dams) and current conditions of water infrastructure development. A comparison of the water supply and demand indicates that during the 4 driest months of the year (January to April) when the river reaches its minimum level and the irrigation water demand is the highest, pumped volumes represent less than 30% of the river discharge. This ratio should decrease as new hydropower dams are built, storing and releasing more water during the wet and the dry season, respectively. These figures indicate that the availability of water in the Nam Ngum River is not a limiting factor for irrigation, even during the dry seasons of exceptionally dry years. The water demand could exceptionally exceed the water supply in the case of an extreme scenario of irrigation development with irrigated areas 3-fold larger than the current ones. Next analyses will consist in assessing how this water balance will be altered by the development of new hydropower dams and irrigation projects. Possible uses of water surplus will be prioritized, depending on their economic viability and benefits.
3 Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, S.; Baker, J.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Bartlett, R.; Jeuland, M.; Phongpachith, C. 2014. Are hydropower and irrigation development complements or substitutes?: the example of the Nam Ngum River in the Mekong Basin. Water International, 39(5):649-670. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2014.956205]
Water power ; Irrigation development ; River basins ; Water resources ; Irrigated land ; Irrigation water ; Water demand ; Water balance ; Water availability ; Simulation models ; Environmental flows ; Dry season / Lao People s Democratic Republic / Nam Ngum River / Mekong Basin / Vientiane Plain
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046639)
(0.51 MB)
Hydropower and irrigation developments to address rising demand for food and energy are modifying the water balance of the Mekong Basin. Infrastructure investment decisions are also frequently made from a sub-catchment perspective. This paper compares river flows with irrigation development stages in the Nam Ngum sub-basin where the potential for irrigation and hydropower expansion is largely untapped. It shows that full hydropower development in this basin allows irrigation water use to triple, even as it reduces competition with environmental flow requirements. The implications for the wider Mekong are, however, unclear, particularly given uncertainty over parallel transformations elsewhere in the basin.
4 Brindha, Karthikeyan; Pavelic, Paul; Sotoukee, Touleelor; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Elango, L. 2017. Geochemical characteristics and groundwater quality in the Vientiane Plain, Laos. Exposure and Health, 9(2):89-104. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0224-8]
Geology ; Chemical composition ; Toxicity ; Groundwater ; Water quality ; Water level ; Drinking water ; Domestic water ; Irrigation water ; Aquifers ; Plains ; Heavy metals ; Pollutants ; Iron ; Arsenic ; Copper ; Zinc ; Mercury ; Health hazards / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Vientiane Plain
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047651)
Groundwater from the shallow aquifers of the Vientiane Plain, Laos is used for domestic needs including to some extent for drinking and for household gardening. The objective of this study is to assess the groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation activities and to determine the processes that lead to the presence of major ions in groundwater. Twenty groundwater samples were collected from a village on the Plain in December 2014, January 2015, and May 2015, and analysed for major ions and selected suite of minor ions and heavy metals. Groundwater is largely acidic, fresh and soft in nature. Geochemistry showed dominant Ca–Mg–HCO3 and mixed Ca–Na–HCO3 groundwater. Sodium impacts the suitability of water for irrigation to some extent. Hydrogeochemical processes identified and verified through factor analysis indicate weathering, carbonate dissolution, ion exchange, and anthropogenic sources including salinisation, due to irrigation and use of fertilizers as sources for the occurrence of major ions at such concentrations in this area. Only concentrations of lead and iron were above the permissible limits with arsenic, copper, zinc, mercury, and uranium found to be within safe limits. Background sample (groundwater) collected 5 km from the study area and the bottled water sample were all within suitable limits for drinking. This study is the first to provide a local-level assessment of geochemical processes in groundwater of this area indicating that the groundwater does not pose any threat to human health if used for drinking based on major ions, minor ions and a suite heavy metals except for iron and lead.
5 Brindha, K.; Pavelic, Paul; Sotoukee, T. 2019. Environmental assessment of water and soil quality in the Vientiane Plain, Lao PDR. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 8: 24-30. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2018.08.005]
Environmental impact assessment ; Water quality ; Water pollution ; Water resources ; Drinking water ; Water levels ; Groundwater ; Faecal coliforms ; Bacteria ; Biological contamination ; Chlorides ; Nitrates ; Soil quality ; Soil sampling ; pH ; Sewage ; Land resources ; Filtration / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Vientiane Plain
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048891)
A water and soil quality baseline study was carried out across the ~ 4500 km2 Vientiane Plain in Lao PDR. Eight water quality and nine soil parameters were analysed using field kits at 95 sites in March 2015. Elevated electrical conductivity and chloride were apparent at two sites due to geogenic leaching from the marine rock-salt present in some areas. Groundwater was acidic in most locations. Nitrate and faecal contamination were also observed from nitrogenous fertilizers (diffuse) and from leaky sewage pits (localised) respectively. Soil quality is neither nutrient deficient nor does it pose a threat to plant growth. Where groundwater is used for drinking, removal of bacterial contamination by simple filtration or boiling is sufficient. In the absence of a functional monitoring network in the Vientiane Plain, periodic surveys of this kind should be performed. The results should be made widely available to the relevant government departments and other stakeholders for better management of the land and water resources.
6 Suhardiman, Diana; Pavelic, Paul; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Giordano, M. 2020. Putting farmers’ strategies in the center of agricultural groundwater use in the Vientiane Plain, Laos. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 36(1):149-169. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2018.1543116]
Groundwater irrigation ; Water use ; Water resources development ; Farmers ; Rural areas ; Households ; Income ; Poverty ; Living standards ; Wells ; Cost benefit analysis ; Cultivation ; Crop production ; Labour ; Social aspects ; Case studies / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Phousan / Ekxang / Vientiane Plain
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049031)
Groundwater use for agriculture has the potential to improve rural households’ income and reduce poverty, but the linkages are not always straightforward. Taking Laos as a case study, this article illustrates how differential access to water, land, and capital shape farmers’ livelihood strategies in two nearby, yet contrasting villages on the Vientiane Plain. It examines the factors driving farm households’ decisions to invest in groundwater for agriculture. The findings highlight the need to better understand how farmers view groundwater in relation to their farm household characteristics if groundwater is to be successfully used as a means to improve rural livelihoods.
7 Clement, C.; Vinckevleugel, J.; Pavelic, Paul; Xiong, K.; Valee, L.; Sotoukee, T.; Shivakoti, B. R.; Vongsathien, K. 2018. Community-managed groundwater irrigation on the Vientiane Plain of Lao PDR: planning, implementation and findings from a pilot trial. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 64p. (IWMI Working Paper 183) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.230]
Community management ; Community involvement ; Groundwater irrigation ; Planning ; Implementation ; Agricultural practices ; Agricultural development ; Living standards ; Soil properties ; Irrigation systems ; Irrigation water ; Irrigation efficiency ; Boreholes ; Drilling ; Water distribution ; Water use ; Water balance ; Water management ; Water levels ; Water rates ; Water user associations ; Investment ; Cost benefit analysis ; Data collection ; Farmers ; Monitoring ; Profitability ; Financing ; Income ; Cropping patterns ; Crop yield ; Socioeconomic environment ; Equity ; Dry season ; Households ; Land rights ; Cultivation ; Mobilization / Lao People’s Democratic Republic / Vientiane Plain
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049049)
(3 MB)
Laos has vast surface water resources. However, in areas located far away from surface water sources or those that are prone to surface water scarcity, groundwater is gaining recognition as a valuable source of water for agricultural development. Households in Ekxang village on the Vientiane Plain, for example, depend on rainfall for the cultivation of rice during the wet season and a wide range of vegetables and herbs in the dry season. Climate change poses a growing threat to crop production in such villages, altering wet season rainfall and making drought more common and severe. To help find a new way forward, a 2-year pilot study of groundwater irrigation was carried out in Ekxang to assess the technical performance, economic viability and effectiveness of the institutional arrangements. Participation in the pilot was quite modest due to farmers being wary of possible risks related to the costs of the new irrigation system. As farmers gained experience with the high-performance pumps and other equipment, their trust grew, and they came to have a sense of ownership over the system. The irrigation system turned out to be profitable for dry-season irrigation of cash crops. Growing rice under these conditions proved to be unprofitable. Increased profits, however, did not translate into increased popularity. In the pilot’s second year, with the subsidy removed, participation in the groundwater users group declined. Apart from the additional cost for pumping, another reason was a lack of household labor to manage the production of cash crops under groundwater irrigation. This, in turn, stemmed from the availability of other livelihood options (such as small businesses and wage labor), which compete with agriculture and may prove more appealing. Clearly, the future development of such systems will depend, not just on local hydrogeological conditions, but also on a better understanding of the social and economic factors that influence farmers’ decisions. New technologies could make a difference as well, such as solar pumps, which likely reduce farmers’ production costs. Lessons learned from this pilot study should prove valuable for helping realize the potential of groundwater irrigation in Laos.
8 Pavelic, Paul; Villholth, Karen G. 2019. Research to support sustainable groundwater development and governance in Laos: research highlight report. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 13p.
Groundwater development ; Sustainable development ; Water governance ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater irrigation ; Capacity building ; Research projects ; Policies ; Agricultural development ; Farmers ; Least developed countries / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Vientiane Plain
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049494)
https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/106671/Research%20to%20support%20sustainable%20groundwater%20development%20%20and%20governance%20in%20Laos_%20Dec%202019_FINAL_2.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049494.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049494.pdf
(1.41 MB) (1.41 MB)
9 Re, V.; Manzione, R. L.; Abiye, T. A.; Mukherji, Aditi; MacDonald, A. (Eds.) 2022. Groundwater for sustainable livelihoods and equitable growth. Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press - Balkema. 367p. (IAH - International Contributions to Hydrogeology 30) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003024101]
Groundwater management ; Sustainable livelihoods ; Equity ; Water resources ; Water security ; Groundwater recharge ; Groundwater extraction ; Groundwater irrigation ; Small scale systems ; Water use ; Conjunctive use ; Surface water ; Water scarcity ; Water governance ; Water policies ; Legal frameworks ; Water supply ; Water harvesting ; River basins ; Watersheds ; Water springs ; Wells ; Alluvial aquifers ; Hydrogeology ; Climate change ; Resilience ; Adaptation ; Strategies ; Urban development ; Landscape conservation ; Periurban areas ; Rural areas ; Villages ; Coastal areas ; Stubble burning ; Rice ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Households ; Socioeconomic development ; Case studies / Africa / South America / Asia / Sahel / Niger / Ghana / Togo / Ethiopia / Zimbabwe / Chad / Malawi / United Republic of Tanzania / Libya / India / Indonesia / Myanmar / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Brazil / West Bengal / Haryana / Gunungsewu Karst Area / Vientiane Plain / Shan State / Techiman Municipality / Rio de Janeiro / Lome / Harare / Tigray / Al Jabal Al Akhdar / Kachchh / Mato Grosso do Sul / Taunggyi / Ekxang / Sume Alluvial Aquifer / Tekeze River Basin / Lake Chad Basin / Great Ruaha River Catchment / Guandu River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H051156)
(0.76 MB)
Groundwater for Sustainable Livelihoods and Equitable Growth explores how groundwater, often invisibly, improves peoples’ lives and livelihoods. This unique collection of 19 studies captures experiences of groundwater making a difference in 16 countries in Africa, South America and Asia. Such studies are rarely documented and this book provides a rich new collection of interdisciplinary analysis. The book is published in colour and includes many original diagrams and photographs.
Spring water, wells or boreholes have provided safe drinking water and reliable water for irrigation or industry for millennia. However, the hidden nature of groundwater often means that it’s important role both historically and in the present is overlooked. This collection helps fill this knowledge gap, providing a diverse set of new studies encompassing different perspectives and geographies. Different interdisciplinary methodologies are described that can help understand linkages between groundwater, livelihoods and growth, and how these links can be threatened by over-use, contamination, and ignorance.
Written for a worldwide audience of practitioners, academics and students with backgrounds in geology, engineering or environmental sciences; Groundwater for Sustainable Livelihoods and Equitable Growth is essential reading for those involved in groundwater and international development.
Spring water, wells or boreholes have provided safe drinking water and reliable water for irrigation or industry for millennia. However, the hidden nature of groundwater often means that it’s important role both historically and in the present is overlooked. This collection helps fill this knowledge gap, providing a diverse set of new studies encompassing different perspectives and geographies. Different interdisciplinary methodologies are described that can help understand linkages between groundwater, livelihoods and growth, and how these links can be threatened by over-use, contamination, and ignorance.
Written for a worldwide audience of practitioners, academics and students with backgrounds in geology, engineering or environmental sciences; Groundwater for Sustainable Livelihoods and Equitable Growth is essential reading for those involved in groundwater and international development.
10 Pavelic, Paul; Suhardiman, Diana; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Clement, Corentin; Vinckevleugel, Jordan; Bohsung, Seinab M.; Xiong, Kong; Valee, Lengya; Viossanges, Mathieu; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Sotoukee, Touleelor; Villholth, Karen G.; Shivakoti, B. R.; Vongsathiane, K. 2022. Assessment of options for small-scale groundwater irrigation in Lao PDR. In Re, V.; Manzione, R. L.; Abiye, T. A.; Mukherji, Aditi; MacDonald, A. (Eds.). Groundwater for sustainable livelihoods and equitable growth. Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press - Balkema. pp.347-363. (IAH - International Contributions to Hydrogeology 30) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003024101-19]
Groundwater irrigation ; Small scale systems ; Assessment ; Wells ; Boreholes ; Water use ; Crop production ; Cash crops ; Farmers ; Livelihoods ; Households ; Investment / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Vientiane Plain / Ekxang
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H051160)
(2.09 MB)
Groundwater offers smallholder farmers in the lowlands of Lao PDR opportunities to diversify cropping beyond wet season paddy and thus enhance their livelihoods while reducing climate risks. This chapter focuses on evaluating existing and specifically developed groundwater irrigation options on the Vientiane Plain, and framing the findings around the livelihood priorities of different farming groups against a backdrop of agrarian change. Results show that cultivating a range of cash crops using shallow dugwells managed by individual farmers and deeper boreholes managed by the community can be profitable for farmers, while helping to increase the resilience of farming households’ livelihoods. Both options may also represent a viable investment option for farming households lacking access to surface water irrigation, and thus contribute to more equitable growth. The results identify drivers and conditions that incentivize and enable groundwater irrigation to generate positive development outcomes. It also highlights that farmers will not intrinsically engage in groundwater irrigation simply because a good resource is available, but instead, weighs up the pros and cons of a mix of biophysical, socioeconomic, technical, and institutional factors. Agricultural policies aiming to intensify small-scale groundwater irrigation should be cognizant of these nuances as they are critical to successful implementation and management.
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