Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR, July 26, 2019 – The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) hosted the signing ceremony for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) funded project on wastewater and solid waste management in two major cities, Vientiane Capital and Pakse. The project is to be implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). The distinguished guests in attendance included Mrs. Vilaykham Phosalath, Deputy Minister of MPWT, Mr. Sung-soon Shin, Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Lao PDR, and Mr. Sung-soo Oh, Resident Representative of KOICA in Lao PDR, and Dr. Jaeseung Lee, GGGI Country Representative to Lao PDR.
During the signing ceremony with MPWT, KOICA, and GGGI, representatives from each institution gave remarks highlighting the importance of green growth. Mr. Sung-soon Shin, South Korean Ambassador to Laos, highlighted the need for sustainable urban services in addition to the issue of global warming and its impact on Mekong water levels during this early flood season in 2019, which fell below their historical long-term minimum levels, affecting many sectors of the economy.
Mrs. Vilaykham Phosalath, Deputy Minister of MPWT, expressed gratitude for the constant support for MPWT in line with green and sustainable development as defined by the Lao PDR’s Vision 2030 and the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan. Mrs. Phosalath is hopeful that this project will help mitigate the problem associated with the rapid urbanization and bolster the development of a clean and green city by becoming a model project for sustainable cities.
Dr. Jaeseung Lee, Country Representative of GGGI in Lao PDR, explained that the Laos office started in January 2017, merely two and a half years ago. Early in the consultations with the government of Lao PDR, the areas of wastewater and solid waste management were identified as priorities in need of immediate attention. “GGGI and KOICA along with Lao government officials worked tirelessly to make this project possible. My personal wish and goal are that this project is successfully implemented and then replicated in other cities to ensure access to sustainable services in the country.”
This marks the beginning of a multi-bilateral aid project of USD 6.7 million, the Wastewater and Solid Waste Treatment Capacity Building Project for City Environment Improvement in Lao PDR.