Review:
Strengthening Disaster Response and Resilience in Lao PDR - A Decade of Learning Since Typhoon Ketsana
Dina Vivona and Manivanh Suyavong
Gender Development Association (GDA)
169/8 Saphanthong Neua, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Corresponding author
When the southern provinces of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) were hit by Typhoon Ketsana in September 2009, it brought devastation and destruction to over 200,000 people. The impacts of the disaster only exacerbated the social and economic vulnerabilities Lao PDR was already facing as a Least Developed Country. Despite the challenges encountered by emergency response teams and aid workers, the Government of Lao PDR used the lessons learnt to improve humanitarian response planning and strengthen community-based disaster resilience. This review seeks to evaluate the progress made in disaster risk management in Lao PDR since Typhoon Ketsana, and analyze the impacts a gender analysis conducted by Oxfam Australia had on mainstreaming inclusive and gender-responsive approaches to disaster risk reduction. It will also provide key recommendations to support the continuous development of community-based disaster risk reduction.
- [1] P. Thevongsa, “Climate change and its impact on the Lao and Cambodian people,” Vientiane Times, 2012, https://www.iucn.org/content/climate-change-and-its-impact-lao-and-cambodian-people [accessed June 30, 2020]
- [2] “ASEAN,” International Monetary Fund, 2018.
- [3] “ASEAN Cooperation on Climate Change,” ASEAN Cooperation on Environment, 2020, https://environment.asean.org/awgcc/#ref1 [accessed June 29, 2020]
- [4] The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “Country Gender Assessment of Agriculture and the Rural Sector in Lao People’s Democratic Republic,” FAO in Laos, 2018, http://www.fao.org/laos/en/ [accessed June 30, 2020]
- [5] UNDP Lao PDR, “Our Focus, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO),” 2020, https://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/crisis-response.html [accessed 27 July, 2020]
- [6] The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, “Post Disaster Needs Assessment, 2018 Floods, Lao PDR,” 2018.
- [7] S. Lang, “NASA’s TRMM Satellite Sees Tropical Storm Ketsana’s Record Flooding in Northern Philippines,” SSAI/NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, 2009, https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2009/h2009_Ketsana.html [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [8] Hong Kong Observatory, “Typhoon Ketsana (0916), 25-30 September 2009,” 2019, https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/informtc/ketsana/report.htm [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [9] Mercy Relief, “Typhoon Ketsana 2009,” Disaster Relief, Our Work, Vietnam, 2016, https://www.mercyrelief.org/typhoon-ketsana-2/ [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [10] R. Gutro, “Tropical Depression 17W Brings Disastrous Flooding, Death in the Philippines,” NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, 2009, https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2009/h2009_Ketsana.html [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [11] Agence France-Presse, “Death toll from Ondoy rises to 337,” ABS-CBN News, 2009, https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/10/09/09/death-toll-ondoy-rises-337 [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [12] R. Gutro, “NASA’s Infrared Satellite Images Reveal Ketsana’s Deadly Western Pacific March,” NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, 2009, https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2009/h2009_Ketsana.html [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [13] CBC News, “2nd typhoon gathers strength in Southeast Asia,” CBC World News, 2009, https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/2nd-typhoon-gathers-strength-in-southeast-asia-1.782876 [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [14] Oxfam Australia, “Laos – Typhoon Ketsana Emergency Response: Final Report, 01 October 2009 - 31 March 2010,” Oxfam International, 2010.
- [15] IRIN News, “Getting better prepared for disasters,” The New Humanitarian, 2009, https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2009/12/11 [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [16] Lao People’s Democratic Republic, “Decree on Establishment of National Disaster Management Committee,” No.158/PM, 1999
- [17] Government of Lao PDR, “The Ketsana Typhoon in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (September 29, 2009): Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment,” GFDRR Publications, 2009, https://gfdrr.org/sites/gfdrr/files/documents/GFDRR_%20LaoPDR_DLNA_2009_EN.pdf [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [18] V. McDonough, E. Montegriffo, and S. Phanit, “Gender Review of Ketsana Emergency Response Lao PDR,” Oxfam Australia, 2010.
- [19] R. Simpson and K. Southall, “Final Report: Real Time Evaluation of the Flood Response in Laos,” Oxfam Australia, 2010.
- [20] Oxfam in Laos, “Terms of reference: Project design on building resilience to disasters and climate change impacts,” Oxfam International, https://www.acodev.be/sites/default/files/jobs/tor_resilience_to_drr_project_design_final_draft_11_nov-1.pdf [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [21] UNDRR, “Disaster Reduction in Lao PDR: Status Report 2019,” United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), 2019, https://www.preventionweb.net/files/68252_682303laopdrdrmstatusreport.pdf [accessed July 20, 2020]
- [22] Humanitarian Country Team, “Lao PDR: Inter-Agency Contingency Plan,” 2019.
- [23] Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, “Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) Manual,” 2016, http://www.adpc.net/igo/category/ID1020/doc/2016-mQHt38-ADPC-CBDRR_Manual_Lao_PDR_.pdf [accessed July 22, 2020]
- [24] Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), “LGBTQ+ Communities and Disasters,” 2020, https://disasterphilanthropy.org/issue-insight/lgbtq-communities-and-disasters/ [accessed July 22, 2020]
- [25] J. A. Lassa, “Roles of Non-Government Organizations in Disaster Risk Reduction,” Natural Hazard Science, 2018, https://oxfordre.com/naturalhazardscience/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389407.001.0001/acrefore-9780199389407-e-45 [accessed July 22, 2020]
This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.