Vientiane (Vientiane Times) - The government of Japan has agreed to provide 97 million yen (US$880,201) to expand the water supply system in the city of Luang Prabang.
The project will be carried out from June 1, 2019, to October 10, 2022.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency in Laos on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Ministry of Planning and Investment on the improvement of the water supply system to ensure the rapidly-expanding city has sufficient clean water.
The agreement was signed by Director General of the ministry’s Department of International Cooperation, Ms Sisomboun Ounavong, and the Senior Representative of JICA in Laos, Ms Akiko Sanada.
The project will improve water treatment plants, build new reservoirs with a capacity of 1,500 m³, and install transmission and distribution pipelines over a distance of 60.2 km.
The upgrade will benefit more than 70,000 local residents as well as tourists.
Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony, Ms Sisomboun said the project will be implemented by the Department of Water Supply under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
The project will not only upgrade the water supply system through improving the function of water treatment plants but will also expand the water distribution network.
Ms Sanada said the upgrade would provide more water to Luang Prabang to meet the increasing demand for water due to the rapid growth of urban areas.
It will also help to stabilise water pressure, especially in the world heritage site itself, where most tourists stay.
This is also an area where fire hydrants are urgently needed, and UNESCO-registered objects will be protected against fire after the completion of the project.
JICA believes the project will contribute to government efforts to achieve the goals of the 8th National Socio-economic Development Programme by increasing water supply coverage in urban areas nationwide to 80 percent by 2020 and to 85 percent by 2025.
Ms Sanada said this would be the first step in project implementation. She looked forward to seeing the project successfully completed through the strong commitment and support of Lao counterparts for the continued prosperity and development of Laos.
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