The Sayaboury Integrated Hazard Mitigation Project (SIHMP) aims to reduce vulnerability and build resilience in communities in Sayaboury Province through strengthening of sustainable disaster risk reduction approaches. Within the broader framework of disaster risk reduction, SIHMP will support both government agencies and communities to plan for and respond to a range of integrated factors which undermine sustainable livelihoods. SIHMP aims to enhance: 1. Institutional Capacity, improving Provincial, District and Village level capacity in disaster risk reduction planning, through ensuring the approach is driven by specific vulnerabilities, improving sectoral coordination on disaster risk reduction across all line agencies and increasing technical capacity in selected line agencies (e.g. agriculture) to support local communities in sustainable livelihood initiatives. SIHMP will work, through Sayaboury and Xieng Hone district, to build on and further develop existing capacities and improve coordination between agencies involved in disaster risk reduction planning and implementation. SIHMP will strengthen institutional arrangements, and provide technical skills which build on existing roles and responsibilities, and which are sustainable and appropriate for communities. In addition, SIHMP will support proactive initiatives to mainstream DRR in routine development activities of relevant agencies. 2. Community Resilience, ensuring vulnerabilities are reduced and coping mechanisms strengthened, through increasing capacity for sustainable livelihood security, resilience to the impact of chronic hazards and protection for particularly vulnerable members of the community. Strengthened community resilience is intended to contribute to a reduction in both vulnerability and poverty levels in Sayaboury.

Based on the needs identified following the development of the district disaster risk reduction plans, SIHMP will aim to implement village level disaster risk reduction activities in a minimum of 24 villages within 4 clusters of Sayaboury and Xieng Hone districts. Within the first two years, the two village clusters of Na Xam and Nala in Sayaboury district will be selected as target areas. An additional 2 village clusters, Banlaosano and Thongkaab in Xienghone District, will be selected in years 3 and 4. Community activities will be implemented in each village based upon identified community priorities, as documented within the District Disaster Management Plan. The project will implement the activities in collaboration with the Village Disaster Management Committees (VDMCs). Where the VDMCs have not been established, the project will support the DDMCs in setting them up. Each village will be supported to develop and implement initiatives from a range of interventions depending on the specific vulnerabilities impacting most significantly on each community. Activities will include: small-scale infrastructure and water supplies, agricultural improvement and land-use planning, community awareness raising campaigns or income generation and microfinance.

The key outcomes of SIHMP will be an improved system for disaster risk reduction planning at the provincial and district levels. This will enable more efficient and cost-effective targeting of risk reduction and mitigation programs, and help identify the most vulnerable communities and members of those communities. SIHMP will also provide the Government of Lao with a set of tested and evaluated models for disaster risk reduction in vulnerable communities. An important additional outcome of SIHMP will be improved coordination in disaster planning, mitigation and response between agencies at the provincial and district levels Provincial and District agency capacity and coordination mechanisms for Disaster Risk planning strengthened Disaster Risk Reduction Plans developed for Sayaboury District and Sayaboury Provincial DRR Strategy enhanced Disaster Risk Reduction Plans implemented in Sayaboury District Baseline surveys conducted and resilience raising community projects identified (location and type) Resilience raising community projects implemented, with monitoring and review mechanisms in place DRR mainstreaming training courses, workshops and other capacity building activities delivered for counterpart staff and agencies Disaster risk reduction integrated into sectoral strategies and plans Evaluation of disaster risk reduction approaches undertaken and options for scaling up determined Project planning and management systems established Annual review exercises assessing progress against objectives and increases in capacity for local partners and staff Project baseline, M&E, data arrangement and reporting systems established and operational

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