Khammouane Province, Lao PDR — Flood preparedness in the Xebangfai River Basin has taken a major step forward as the Mekong Institute (MI) and development and technology partners, with support from the Republic of Korea (RoK)–United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Facility, successfully completed a key technology transfer and community training under the third phase of the P-LINK Project or the People’s Livelihoods Initiative through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in the Mekong Region. Held on 27 November 2025 in Mahaxay District’s Nakio Village, the training and handover ceremony marked a critical milestone in improving local resilience to recurring floods.
Ms. Jian Wang, Program Manager at MI’s Sustainable Energy and Environment Department, noted that the pilot transfer of the life-saving technology is part of broader efforts to enhance both national and community-level disaster management. “At the national scale, the pilot is supporting the development of an improved plan for the National Water Resources Data Management Center (NWRDMC). Locally, it has established a new AI-based Flood Forecasting and Warning System (FFWS) tailored to the Xebangfai River Basin, an area frequently hit by seasonal floods and droughts,” Ms. Wang shared at the ceremony, which reinforced provincial and local ownership for long-term operation.
The pilot is a joint initiative with the Lao National Mekong Committee Secretariat (LNMCS) and the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH). Other key partners include the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), the Mekong River Commission (MRC), and Korean innovative technology providers Hermesys and JL Soft.
STEPI Director for Global Strategy, Dr. Myong Hwa Lee, emphasized that the pilot stands as a collaborative model built through the combined efforts of partners and stakeholders. “By bringing together innovation, policy insight, and practical knowledge from pilot demonstration, it offers a forward-looking model for strengthening climate resilience in Lao PDR. The lessons learned here can be adapted and scaled across the Mekong region, helping other countries enhance their own climate resilience.”
AI tech at the heart of the intervention
The Nakio Flood Forecast Early Warning and Monitoring System is the technology at the center of the intervention. It is a smart monitoring and real-time warning system designed to help protect lives, reduce crop damage, and support faster and more coordinated responses by provincial authorities.
Delivered through a Korean technology consortium, the system integrates AI-powered forecasting and real-time monitoring components developed by Hermesys, alongside a software platform from JL Soft that processes data and enables local operators to access reliable alerts and interpret forecasts with ease. Equipped with automated, real-time water-level and rainfall gauges, the system delivers accurate flood forecasts with more than 24 hours of lead time.
The system comprises two hydro-meteorological monitoring stations—one each at Ban Hai and Ban Nakio—installed in September 2025. All equipment meets international hydrological monitoring standards and was installed according to detailed technical designs. Site conditions were carefully assessed to optimize equipment positioning while maintaining standardized measurement protocols. Both stations are fully operational, providing continuous monitoring through pressure-type and radar-type sensors powered by solar energy and connected to mobile networks for real-time data transmission to central management systems.
The Ban Hai station offers comprehensive dual monitoring of rainfall and water levels at an elevation of 162 meters, supported by full solar power infrastructure and real-time telemetry. The Ban Nakio station utilizes existing bridge infrastructure, with equipment mounted 2.8 meters above the bridge deck to ensure flood-resistant operation while maintaining precise measurement accuracy.
Together, the installations provide immediate operational capacity for flood forecasting and early warning, contributing directly to community safety and water resource management across Khammouane Province through reliable, real-time data collection and communication systems.
Lives and livelihoods protected
The technology was strategically implemented in Nakio Village, a community heavily reliant on rice cultivation and routinely threatened by monsoon-season floods and dry-season droughts. It provides the village’s 740 residents with critical time to protect lives, crops, and property.
To encourage local ownership, MI and Hermesys trained more than 50 stakeholders—from national officials to community leaders, teachers, and O&M operators—on system use. Hands-on sessions equipped participants to operate and maintain the system, interpret data, and troubleshoot issues. A dedicated non-technical session engaged young children, who practiced warning sounds and evacuation steps, helping embed disaster preparedness across generations.
A live simulation further tested the community’s response, strengthening coordination and building confidence in the new system. Instructional materials distributed during the event were aimed at sustaining knowledge and skills beyond the training.
Mrs. Soudavee Keopaseuth, Deputy Secretary General of LNMCS, stressed how the technology was designed to serve people, not replace them. “From data to action, Nakio’s frontline guardians turn knowledge into resilience,” she added.
UNOSSC Trust Fund Director Ms. Xiaojun Grace Wang congratulated all stakeholders on the handover, emphasizing that Nakio Village did not simply receive the system but shaped, adapted, and made it their own. “Technology alone is not enough. It only works when people understand it, trust it, and take ownership. That is why capacity building—training national officers, provincial authorities, village leaders, women, youth, and volunteers—has been central to this work.”
A local government official noted how the project has empowered people with the tools of science, technology, and innovation to strengthen long-term resilience. A community representative added that early warnings now enable them to manage disaster risks effectively: “People no longer panic; we follow the plan, feel safer, and have more confidence than ever before.”
About P-LINK
P-LINK is a cooperation project under the Republic of Korea (RoK)–United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Facility. It brings together RoK’s Ministry of Science and ICT, UNOSSC, the Mekong River Commission, the Mekong Institute, and other partners to apply integrated, multi-sectoral technology solutions across water, energy, and food systems—strengthening access, resilience, and livelihoods for vulnerable communities across the Lower Mekong Basin.
