Integrated Assessment of Domestic Water Accessibility for Vulnerable Communities in the Lower Mekong Basin

Abstract

Water insecurity is a complex issue and although there is considerable knowledge of how to incorporate appropriate management measures and strategies into water resources management in provincial and river basin level in order to achieve water security, few actions effectively achieve this on-the-ground. The proposed research project is in excellent alignment with the stated mission of SUMERNET 4, which requires the significance of improved policies and practices in addressing the water insecurity challenges through collaborative research of Lower Mekong Basin countries namely Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. The specific goal of this project is to reduce water insecurity for vulnerable groups in the Lower Mekong Basin through integrated assessment of domestic water accessibility applying water security indicators such as water availability, water quality, domestic water consumption, etc., water accounting and proposing domestic water security policies and strategies based on research findings, and tailored to different settings. Initially, rapid assessment will be conducted in three provinces located in Vietnam, Laos PDR and Thailand for domestic water issues of vulnerable groups including the poor, woman, children, and marginal groups. Then a pilot district in each province will be selected for conducting integrated assessment of domestic water accessibility for vulnerable and marginal groups. A comparison and evaluation of assessment results across the three countries as well as reducing water insecurity measures will be presented, leveraging common aspects between cases where possible. Based on research findings, international papers will be developed, and policy briefs will be proposed that address water security enhancement for vulnerable groups with appropriate adaptation measures in the research areas.