(KPL) The Lao National Urban Forum under the theme sustainable and participatory urban transformation was held in Vientiane on Oct 31. The forum was co-organized by Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the United Nations (UN-Habitat) in Laos. 

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss and exchange views on the challenges and opportunities relating to the socio-economic development and the fast-growing city in order to listen to the opinions shared by representatives from various sectors and participate in the development and solutions of problems of the city aiming to be sustainable and modern in the future.    

Minister of Public Works and Transport Viengsavath Siphandone said that urban development is an issue that the world attaches importance to because urban areas are central to the economic, social and environmental development of the country.

Urban development work is related work and as the responsibility of many parts in society. At the same time, the Lao government has also given importance to the development of urban areas by completing the urban planning of 148 districts throughout the country.

The Government have also updated the plan of these cities from time to time following economic-social growth and focused both internal budgets and mobilized funds for assistance from friendly countries and international financial institutions in the amount of over $US 300 million over the past fifteen years.   

Although the Lao PDR is classified as a low to middle-income country, Laos is one of the countries that does not have many homeless people and no crowded communities as found in other developing countries, added Mr. Viengsavath.

He explained that however, due to the rapid expansion of cities and unsustainable housing development in the past, people living in cities are facing the problem of housing prices that are becoming more and more expensive and the size is becoming more and more cramped.

KPL