Pakse is the commercial and cultural capital of southern Laos and one of the country’s most important regional economic and tourism hubs. To strengthen its long-term competitiveness and live ability, the Asian Development Bank financed the Pakse Urban Environmental Improvement Project (ADB Loan 2876 and Grant 0297-LAO) — a US$31 million, six-year initiative targeting the city’s most pressing environmental and infrastructure challenges. The project focused on improving solid waste management systems, upgrading flood protection and drainage networks, and protecting the Xedon riverbank from erosion. Beyond physical infrastructure, it also supported community-driven urban environmental improvements, strengthened local planning capacity, and built the institutional capabilities of key provincial agencies in project management and service delivery.

As joint venture partner with Egis Eau (France), LCG delivered construction management and supervision services across all four project output areas. Under Output 1, LCG conducted data collection, engineering surveys and analyses, feasibility studies, detailed engineering design, and appraisal reporting for solid waste, drainage, and riverbank protection works, followed by full contract administration and civil works management. Under Output 2, LCG supported the Urban Development and Administration Authority (UDAA) in identifying, appraising, designing, and supervising small-scale community environmental improvement (CEI) sub-projects for 72 affected households across the Greater Pakse urban area, including a socio-economic census survey. Under Outputs 3 and 4, LCG provided on-the-job training and workshops to strengthen the capacity of the Project Implementation Unit, UDAA, DPWT, and PCU in urban planning, project procurement, management, and ADB safeguard compliance.

The Pakse Urban Environmental Improvement Project delivered meaningful, lasting change across one of Laos’s most economically significant provincial cities. Upgraded drainage and flood protection infrastructure reduced communities’ exposure to seasonal inundation, while improved solid waste systems and sanitation services raised public health and environmental standards for residents across the Greater Pakse urban area. Riverbank protection along the Xedon River safeguarded livelihoods and assets in vulnerable communities. Equally important, the sustained capacity-building effort embedded within local government agencies has improved the long-term ability of Champasack provincial institutions to plan, manage, and deliver urban infrastructure projects — a legacy that extends well beyond the project’s physical works. For LCG, this engagement reflects the firm’s deep expertise in ADB-financed urban infrastructure and its ability to integrate technical, social, and institutional dimensions into a single, cohesive programme of support.