Striking a Balance : Managing El Niño and La Niña in Lao PDR’s Agriculture
This report’s purpose is to help Lao policy makers and stakeholders prepare for future El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. It does this by providing information on ENSO’s poverty, economic, and agricultural impacts in Lao PDR and outlining...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/448941554201199810/Striking-a-Balance-Managing-El-Niño-and-La-Niña-in-Lao-PDR-s-Agriculture http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31520 |
| Summary: | This report’s purpose is to help Lao
policy makers and stakeholders prepare for future El
Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. It does this by
providing information on ENSO’s poverty, economic, and
agricultural impacts in Lao PDR and outlining ways forward.
The report finds that ENSO’s impacts vary from region to
region and harm Lao PDR’s people, economy, and agricultural
sector. The country has sought to prepare for climate risks
through climate change adaptation and disaster risk
management but could do more to prepare specifically for
ENSO events. Preparing for ENSO is important because of Lao
PDR’s exposure to ENSO-related climate shocks, the
importance of agriculture in the national economy, the rural
population’s climate and economic vulnerability, and the
lack of research on ENSO in Lao PDR.This report is timely
given the lack of research on ENSO in Lao PDR and the high
likelihood the country will face another El Niño in the near
term. It is difficult to disentangle ENSO’s impacts from
those of other climate shocks, natural disasters,and
economic cycles. This makes it more difficult to design
policies and response mechanisms that help mitigate
ENSO-related welfare losses and economic damages.This report
evaluates El Niño and La Niña’s impacts on Lao PDR’s
agricultural sector particularly crops, livestock, and
fisheries—and how these have implications for the economy
and society. It then looks at the actions undertaken by the
Lao government to mitigate the losses associated with
climate risks. This includes actions to prepare and respond
to climate change and natural disasters. Next, the report
simulates how well certain policy options mitigate
ENSO-related GDP and welfare losses. It concludes by
recommending actions to enhance Lao PDR’s preparedness for
future ENSO events. |
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