UNOSAT is implementing The project “Strengthening Capacities in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improved Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa.” (2021-2024) intends to develop sustainable capacities and implement ad-hoc and tailored geospatial solutions. These can help to improve existing policy and decision-making processes to solve priority issues in the fields of Disaster Risk Reduction. Partnership with the government is crucial to the success of the project. UNOSAT aims to develop innovative capacity development solutions and geospatial services by integrating data, technology, knowledge, and people - custom-tailored to the country's needs. This 3-year long project builds on previous experiences and aims to further enhance capacities by leveraging technological advances and innovation and providing integrated geospatial solutions for improved decision making in the fields of Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Resilience, Environmental Preservation in the eight target countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, Lao PDR, Nigeria, Solomon Islands, Uganda, and Vanuatu.
LaoPDR is exposed to various natural hazards like flood, tropical depressions, landslides specially from hydrometeorological hazards which are likely to worsen with changing climate. For example, droughts are expected to significantly worse in the southern parts of the country. Precipitation is expected to increase by 10% to 30% with a temperature rise of 1 to 2 degrees (Government of Lao PDR, 2010) with that flooding and rainfall triggered landslides are likely to occur more frequently. The social and economic impact of disasters undermines the development progress and possibility of the country to achieve its target of graduating beyond the Least Developed Countries (LCDs) by 2024. The lack of reliable and updated baseline data for hazards, exposure, and vulnerability undermines the capacity at the national and subnational levels to plan and implement effective disaster risk management and climate resilience actions in both the short and long-term. Especially in the immediate aftermath of disasters there is lack of reliable information to support response activities.