This report highlights the regional experiences intrinsic to the work of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the Public Works and Transport Institute (PTI) in disaster risk assessment and mapping in the region. The project objectives include mapping out all hazard prone areas (based on historic disaster events), identifying and assessing the exposure, vulnerability and risk of people, property, critical facilities, infrastructure and economic activities in those hazards prone areas; and creating preliminary national multi-hazard profiles, in terms of the type of hazard and affected sectors, so as to identify the risk priorities for the national disaster risk reduction strategies. Upon fulfilling the objectives of this report, the project team produced a two-part report.
Part 1 covers an overview of the project, a description of the baseline data, and hazard assessment and mapping for earthquakes, floods, drought, landslides, epidemics and diseases, UXO and storms hazards at the national level. Thus, part one results in the development of a multi-hazard risk map for Lao PDR.
Part two of this report discusses the methodology for exposure, vulnerability and risk assessment for various hazards. In addition, part two recommends necessary intervention strategies for disaster risk reduction. The recommendations are segmented into eight sections: policy; institutional mandates and institutional development; hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment; multi-hazard early warning systems; preparedness and response plans; the integration of disaster risk reduction into development planning; community-based disaster risk management; and public awareness, education and training.