The Government of Laos is advancing efforts to strengthen sustainable water management through institutional reforms and capacity building in the urban water sector. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Laos, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, organised a national workshop in Vientiane focused on improving the financial sustainability of water assets and enhancing operational efficiency among provincial water utilities.
The workshop aimed to share lessons learned, promote best practices and identify practical measures to strengthen utility management and long-term service delivery. Discussions covered cost-recovery tariffs, reduction of non-revenue water and improvements in financial and asset management systems.
ADB highlighted that infrastructure development alone is insufficient to ensure long-term progress in the water sector, stressing the importance of financially viable utilities, sustainable operations and institutional strengthening. Participants also exchanged views on strategies to improve the performance and resilience of provincial water utilities across the country.