Supporting Catchment-Based Adaptation and Green Infrastructure under the Community Livelihood Enhancement and Resilience (CLEAR) Project

Project Context:

The World Bank-financed CLEAR project aims to improve rural livelihoods and food security for vulnerable communities in Lao PDR through small-scale rural infrastructure, including access roads, drinking water, irrigation, and tree planting. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) contribution to CLEAR strengthens community resilience to climate change through the design and implementation of climate-resilient infrastructure and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in village clusters across Oudomxay, Phongsaly, and Xiengkhouang provinces, which are prone to drought, floods, storms, and landslides that affect livelihoods, schools, transportation, market access, and community safety.

As the External Technical Assistance (ETA) organisation, ICEM applies a catchment- and landscape-based approach across three target village clusters, supporting landscape planning of EbA and green infrastructure, capacity building for CLEAR staff and Young Graduates, supervision of EbA demonstrations, development of a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework, and production of knowledge products for scale-up.

Objectives:

The project aims to:

  • Strengthen the design, implementation, and monitoring of climate-resilient and ecosystem-based infrastructure at cluster and village levels.
  • Enhance institutional and community capacities to plan, implement, and maintain climate-resilient and ecosystem-based measures.
  • Generate and share practical knowledge and tools for scaling up ecosystem-based adaptation in future programming.
client:
CLEAR,SDC,World Bank
LOCATION:
Lao PDR
TIME:
July 2026
to June 2028

TAGS

Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction, Project description, Water
Lao PDR
Current Projects

Activities:

ICEM delivers the assignment across four phases:
  • Inception: Conducting a kick-off meeting, data collection and literature review, catchment mapping of the three target village clusters, and finalising the approach, methodology, work plan, and MEL framework tools and indicators.
  • Diagnostic Assessment: Undertaking participatory mapping, field surveys, drone surveys, and stakeholder consultations; performing diagnostic assessments for all three target village clusters; conducting hotspot analysis at catchment and asset levels; and screening and selecting demonstration locations in coordination with the CLEAR team.
  • Adaptation Planning and Implementation: Developing and prioritising a longlist of resilience-building and EbA measures; preparing climate-resilience building plans and conceptual designs for demonstration locations; supporting engineering design, procurement, and construction supervision; and providing training to local contractors and communities on implementation and maintenance.
  • Capacity Development and Knowledge Transfer: Conducting a capacity needs assessment; developing a capacity development and knowledge transfer plan with training modules and knowledge products; and applying a MEL framework across the project to conduct baseline, mid-term and final assessments, including collection of case studies and lessons learned from demonstration sites.

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  • Lao PDR

Supporting Catchment-Based Adaptation and Green Infrastructure under the Community Livelihood Enhancement and Resilience (CLEAR) Project

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Integrated Catchment Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience

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Designing Integrated Coastal and Community Resilience Infrastructure for One of the World’s Most Climate-Vulnerable Nations

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