Multilayered Vulnerability Profile for Kaysone Phomvihane, Lao PDR - Climate, Urban, and Biodiversity Dimensions

The Multilayered Vulnerability Profile for Kaysone Phomvihane, Lao PDR, was developed under the project “Enhancing interregional knowledge exchange and capacities of national and local governments in Lao PDR, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and South Africa on financing for urban sustainable, net-zero, climate resilient and nature positive development for the most vulnerable urban communities,” under UN-Habitat’s Resilient Settlements for the Urban Poor (RISE UP) Programme. The project is supported by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund under the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund (UNPDF).  

The profile presents a comprehensive analysis of urban, climate change, and biodiversity vulnerabilities in Kaysone Phomvihane, identifying critical hotspots and their interconnectedness. As the second-largest city in Lao PDR and a key economic hub in the Greater Mekong Subregion, Kaysone Phomvihane is experiencing rapid urban expansion, placing increasing pressure on infrastructure, services, and the natural environment. 

The assessment highlights key challenges including unplanned urban growth, recurrent flooding, rising temperatures, inadequate drainage, road and waste management gaps, and significant forest loss. It combines spatial analysis with community consultations to validate findings and reflect local experiences, identifying areas where overlapping urban, climate, and biodiversity risks create multilayered vulnerability hotspots. 

Applying the methodology set out in the Multilayered Vulnerability Assessment (MVA) Handbook, the profile provides evidence to support urban resilience planning and the forthcoming Urban Resilience Action Plan (URAP). It highlights priorities including strengthening urban planning and land-use regulation, improving drainage and flood management, protecting and expanding green spaces, and improving basic infrastructure and services in high-risk and peri-urban areas.