Incorporation into the project design of cost-sharing arrangements with irrigation water users broadens the scope for promoting project sustainability and improving related approaches and practices. In the Lao PDR, forming a water users’ group and assigning it the responsibility of collecting water charges is an important step toward project sustainability. However, this was not fully integrated into the project design and no relevant output Indicators were included in the design and monitoring framework. Had this been made an integral part of the ADB project, it would have facilitated a focus on international best practices that could help improve country practices in forming and running water users’ groups.
Greater Mekong Subregion Flood and Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Project