LA-Luang Namtha

closed

The Luang Namtha Provincial Development Project is part of the Government's development program for Luang Namtha province. IDA funds will be invested in rural infrastructure -- roads and water supply -- and will support the institutional strengthening of provincial planning and management. Parallel to IDA's project, the European Community's Laung Namtha Area Development Project will finance community development/income generating activities, concentrating on the geographical areas along the IDA financed roads. The road component will: (a) improve two roads totalling about 150 km to low-volume standards; (b) survey and design the Namtha-Nalae road; (c) develop the provincial Department of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction (DCTPC); and (d) develop the local construction industry. The water component will: (a) rehabilitate and expand the water supply network, standpipes and sanitation program in the towns of Namtha and Singh; (b) provide a rural water scheme in the districts of Viengpuka and Long; and (c) provide technical assistance and training to develop, supervise and operate water and sanitation systems. The institutional strengthening component will: (a) set up a Planning, Coordination and Monitoring Unit (PCMU) under the provincial governor's office to advise and train provincial counterparts in planning, budgeting and management as well as coordinating the technical assistance program; (b) introduce monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and integrate relevant project procedures into regular provincial administrative activities; and (c) arrange for scholarships, short-term seminars, and domestic and regional training programs for provincial staff. To ensure sustainability after the project is completed, the technology chosen for operation and maintenance will be low-cost and unsophisticated.