Lao PDR: Building Resilience of Urban Populations with Ecosystem-Based Solutions - Policy Brief

This document presents a targeted Gender Action Plan designed to promote gender equality in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) project activities in flood-prone urban centres of Lao PDR. The two primary goals are to reduce employment inequalities and increase women’s climate awareness. Specific participation targets for women—ranging from 30% to 50%—have been set across activities including capacity building, technical training, stakeholder consultations, ecosystem restoration, and outreach efforts in Vientiane, Paksan, Savannakhet, and Pakse. Targets are tailored to local realities and women’s preferences. A full-time Monitoring and Gender Officer will be hired for the five-year project duration to oversee implementation and track progress through gender-disaggregated data and community surveys. The plan outlines specific gender-sensitive strategies such as balanced staff recruitment, context-specific outreach, adaptive training, and inclusive policy development.