A new World Bank project will improve connectivity in central and southern Laos, helping about 600,000 people access public services and markets more easily while making rural roads more resilient to climate change.
The $56 million Lao PDR Climate Resilient Road Connectivity Improvement Project, approved yesterday, will support government works to improve around 300 kilometers of district and rural roads in Khammuan, Saravan, and Savannakhet provinces. The three provinces were chosen for this project because they have poor road networks, show the country's highest poverty counts, are most vulnerable to flooding, and are among the top producers in the agriculture sector.
This six-year project is funded by the World Bank Group's International Development Association, which helps low-income countries build a better future through low-interest credits that can be repaid over a long time period.
"Laos is highly vulnerable to climate change risks, while people in rural parts of the country need access to markets, schools, and hospitals to lead healthy and prosperous lives," explained Alex Kremer, World Bank Country Manager for the Lao PDR. "This new project is designed to benefit farmers and women especially, by giving them year-round connections to the services they need to help their families and communities thrive."
Road investments in Laos have tended to focus on national arteries, leaving more remote areas underserved. Only 15 percent of the national road network is paved, with 40 percent of paved roads in poor or bad condition, and 40 percent of unpaved roads inaccessible during the wet season. With extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and flooding becoming more common, even existing roads are becoming harder to use.
Implemented by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the project will consider diverse community needs and voices in its work. For example, Laos currently has a major gender gap in transport - only 9% of workers in the transport sector are women. To help narrow this gap, the project will support an internship program for women university students and recent graduates providing six months of paid training in transportation and construction at the ministry.
