The Australian Water Partnership is supporting the Department of Water Resources and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Laos to develop a national Groundwater Profile and a pilot Sustainable Groundwater Management Plan (SGMP) for the Sekong Basin.
The Australian Water Partnership features an experienced, interdisciplinary team from the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training based at Flinders University, the International Water Management Institute and the South Australian Department for Environment and Water, alongside national groundwater management specialists to develop the Groundwater Profile and the Sekong Basin SGMP. They will draw on best practices internationally while incorporating gender equality, disability, and social inclusion into the overall process.
Laos is undergoing rapid development that heavily relies on its natural resources including groundwater. Currently, the resource is mainly accessed through shallow wells and boreholes in lowland areas for domestic use and market gardening. The Government of Laos recognises that there is significant scope for expansion in high-value economic sectors, such as irrigation and industry, along with securing domestic needs. However, there is insufficient knowledge and understanding of the resource, including a lack of reliable hydrogeological maps, which provide the ability to make strategic decisions on groundwater management.
The new partnership will contribute to developing hydrogeological maps and databases that help delineate the groundwater development potential in the major aquifer systems of Laos. The activity team will also provide training and skills transfer opportunities for DWR staff to develop their capacity in undertaking groundwater monitoring and assessments and managing the groundwater resources more effectively.
Project Leader Prof Okke Batelaan, Strategic Professor Hydro(geo)logy at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering, says, “It is an honour and a great opportunity to contribute to such an important topic as the sustainable groundwater development in Laos. The team has a wealth of local experience and expertise in groundwater and is keen to collaborate closely with our Lao colleagues.”
The national Groundwater Profile and the SGMP for the Sekong Basin will assist community members, farmers, local organisations, and government to expand groundwater development for water supply, agricultural production, and strengthen the resilience of agriculture to climatic uncertainties. The scientific information will greatly benefit urban and particularly rural communities through the sustainable use of groundwater and put in place management measures to ensure that groundwater offers a reliable, safe, and secure resource over the long term.
An inception meeting of the Australian Water Partnership was held on 11 March, at which the Australian Partners discussed specific tasks, roles and responsibilities during the project that will run through 2021 and 2022.