To fully implement the Environmental Protection Planning Project, one of the "Eight Major Projects Aiding Laos" proposed by President Xi Jinping, with the approval of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and support from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO)/Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center (LMEC) of MEE dispatched a Chinese expert team of "Environmental Protection Planning and Engineering Technical Assistance Project for Lao PDR" (hereinafter referred to as the “Project”) to conduct a site survey on the water environment status of key river basins in Vientiane Capital, Vientiane Province and Luang Prabang Province of Laos. The survey was carried out under the management, coordination and guidance of the Chinese Embassy in Laos, the Lao-China Cooperation Committee and the Bureau of International Economic Cooperation of MOFCOM.
In accordance with the project implementation plan, the survey focused on the investigation of the water environment status of key river basins in Laos, with a focus on the main tributaries of the Mekong River and the inland rivers in Vientiane Capital. Through a combination of departmental discussions, data collection and on-site testing, the project team systematically obtained basic data such as the surface water quality, sewage treatment facilities and river basin planning in Laos, providing a scientific basis for the subsequent work including the layout of water quality monitoring networks and the strengthening of water quality compliance management in Laos.
With the coordination of the Department of Planning and Cooperation of the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), the expert team held discussions and exchanges with the Department of Water Resources, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Department of Natural Resources and Environment Inspection, Biotechnology and Ecology Institute of MAE, as well as the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Luang Prabang Province. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on issues such as Laos' water resources management system, the current status of surface water monitoring networks, the construction and operation of sewage treatment facilities, and the progress of integrated river basin planning, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the policy framework and technical needs of environmental protection work in Laos.
During the on-site survey, the project team selected 13 representative monitoring sites, including the main tributaries of the Mekong River such as the Nam Ngum River, Nam Ou River, Nam Khan River and Nam Sen River, as well as sewage outfalls of inland rivers in downtown Vientiane. Portable water quality analyzers and rapid detection kits were used to conduct real-time testing of 7 water quality indicators, including pH value, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), so as to initially understand the water quality of key river basins in Laos.
In the next phase, the Chinese and Lao teams will, based on the results of this survey, jointly carry out surface water quality monitoring and analysis of key river basins, systematically sort out the list of water environment problems in key river basins in Laos, and formulate countermeasures and suggestions for water quality compliance management in light of Laos' development status and actual needs. They will also carry out domestic sewage treatment demonstrations, water environment management capacity-building activities, etc., to jointly promote all-round cooperation in the field of ecological environment and deepen the construction of the China-Laos Community with a Shared Future.
