ADPC has been engaged by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Lao PDR to provide professional consulting services for the implementation of the project ?Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management into Investment Decision? (MDCRM) with financial support from Japan Policy and Human Resources Development (PHRD) Technical Assistance (TA) Program to Support Disaster Reduction and Recovery Grant through the World Bank. The project aims to strengthen the institutional authority and implementation capacity at national and sub-national levels to mainstreaming disaster risk management and climate change adaptation into public infrastructure investments, thereby decreasing the vulnerability of the population and national economy to climate change and natural hazards. The development objectives are expected to be achieved by: 1. integrating climate and disaster risk management into strategic national and sectoral planning and development policies 2. improving the consideration of disaster and climate resilience in the implementation of public infrastructure 3. enhancing the human and institutional capacity through training at national, provincial, district, and community level in the design and implementation of resilient infrastructure 4. implementing strategic structural and non-structural measures to enhance resilience in key growth sectors in two high-risk provinces.

The project has six Tasks as follows: Task 1: Project management A professional project management team serving as the secretariat to a steering committee in overseeing the project implementation will be established with sufficient qualifications and experience. Task 2: Risk Assessment This Task will focus on the identification of risks and integration of risk scenarios in the development planning and policies. Task 3: Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management into Investments This Task will provide assistance to Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), transport, urban planning under the Ministry of Public works and Transport (MPWT), and irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to develop guidelines and strategies to mainstream disaster risk management and climate change adaptation into the planning cycle and budgeting processes. Task 4: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Activities under this component will focus on building capacity of the technical staff members at both central and provincial levels in the areas of undertaking risk assessments, interpretation and application of data, and updating the data through on the job training and workshops. Task 5: Pilot Sub-Projects in two disaster-prone provinces The purpose of the pilot would be to demonstrate the disaster-resilient construction practices developed under Task 2 in two disaster-prone provinces. The final selection of pilot provinces, as well as exact locations and types of investments, will be determined during implementation. The pilot sub-projects will be small scale civil works under the road transport, irrigation and rural housing sectors such as improvement of road drainage and bridge structures, slope protection, improvement of flood prone section of roads, improvement of vulnerable section of irrigation system and urban drainage system for flood resilient urban planning. Task 6: project Monitoring and Evaluation The Task includes support to MPI, MPWT, and MAF on establishment of a monitoring and evaluation mechanism, which can capture progress of capacity building and mainstreaming on DRM at individual staff member, organization, and sector levels. A reporting system will be established, covering data collection, analysis and presentation. In addition, the Task also includes mid-term review and end of project review.

1. National and Provincial Level Risk Assessment Report of Lao PDR: Volume I: Hazard Assessment and Element at Risk 2. National and Provincial Level Risk Assessment Report of Lao PDR: Volume II: Exposure, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment 3. Landslide inventory framework for critical national and provincial roads in Lao PDR 4. Lesson learn from good practices on resilient infrastructure and its relevance to Lao PDR 5. Mainstreaming DCRM in the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2016-2020 6. Mainstreaming DCRM in the PIP and Accreditation 7. Strategic guidelines - Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management in the Rural Housing Sector in Lao PDR 8. Strategic guidelines - Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management in the Road Sector in Lao PDR 9. Strategic guidelines - Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management in the Irrigation Sector in Lao PDR 10. Construction guidelines on DCRM designs and policies in rural housing, road and irrigation sectors 11. Recommendation on building codes for housing sector 12. Recommendation on technical standards and specifications for roads sector 13. Recommendation on technical standards and specifications for irrigation sector 14. Recommendation on Developing a Guidelines on DCRM Accreditation for Monitoring and Evaluation Process 15. Findings and recommendation on Training and Capacity Buildings Needs in Lao PDR