Donate to support Laos
Laos is changing fast. Hydropower projects, infrastructure expansion and shifting river flows are reshaping how people access water, farmland and forest resources.
Many rural communities rely on the Mekong River and its tributaries for fishing, rice farming and daily income. Rapid development can alter water levels and the ecosystems that sustain these livelihoods.
Climate change adds another layer. Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are increasing the risk of both drought and flash flooding.
Despite this, communities in Laos are leading with solutions — negotiating over land and water, advocating for fairer development, and adapting to climate change. Donate to Laos to support this leadership.
You can help ensure development in Laos is fair, inclusive and grounded in local knowledge. Your support strengthens gender justice, climate resilience and the right of communities to participate in decisions that shape their futures.
Why your support matters in Laos
Laos is one of the most rural countries in Southeast Asia. Many families depend on small-scale farming, fishing and forest products for food and income. The Mekong River and its tributaries are central to daily life — shaping planting seasons, access to water and the productivity of rice fields, river gardens and fisheries.
But this balance is under pressure. Hydropower development and shifting river flows can affect water levels, sediment movement and fish migration. At the same time, climate change is altering rainfall patterns across the country. UNDP notes growing risks of both drought and flash flooding, which make it harder for farmers to plan harvests or protect crops.
Upland communities (people who live in mountainous or highland parts of Laos) often face additional challenges, particularly ethnic minority groups. They may have fewer roads, less access to public services and limited influence over decisions that affect their land and water.
Women shoulder significant unpaid labour and usually have fewer opportunities to participate in village or district decision-making. These structural inequalities shape how quickly households can adapt when the climate shifts, or when nearby development affects crops, forests or fisheries.
Despite these pressures, communities across Laos are leading practical, locally grounded responses. Women’s groups, youth collectives and village networks share information, map changes to their environment and advocate for fairer development outcomes. Their leadership is essential. And your support helps strengthen the systems that allow them to lead so effectively.
When you donate to Laos, you stand with communities that are adapting with dignity, protecting their rights and influencing decisions that affect their futures.
How Oxfam is working in Laos
Through the Mekong Inclusion Project, Oxfam works with local partners right across the Mekong region with one major goal: to ensure the people most affected by planning decisions can participate in the process and influence outcomes.
The Mekong Inclusion Project is supported by the Australian Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Supporting women’s leadership and rights
Oxfam works with local organisations to strengthen women’s participation in community decision-making. This work supports women’s access to information and develops leadership opportunities.
The aim is for women to influence discussions about land, water and local development. When women’s voices are heard, development outcomes are more just and more inclusive.
Strengthening climate resilience and local adaptation
Across rural and river-dependent communities, Oxfam supports locally led work to help households adapt to shifting weather patterns. Partners share climate information and support community-led strategies to manage water, land and forest resources as conditions change. These efforts help communities prepare for floods, drought and unpredictable seasons.
Supporting fair and inclusive development decisions
Oxfam works with community groups and civil society organisations so they can contribute meaningfully to development decisions that affect them.
This work creates opportunities for dialogue, helps people understand the potential impacts of development projects, and supports advocacy grounded in diverse lived experiences. The focus is on fairness, transparency and protecting community rights.
Working alongside local organisations
All of Oxfam’s work in Laos is led through long-standing partnerships with local groups who understand the context, the landscape and the needs of their communities. Together, they strengthen resilience, deepen gender equality and ensure local knowledge guides decisions about land, water and natural resources. Donate to Laos to stand with them.
Key focus areas
Why choose Oxfam
We work alongside local leaders and organisations in Laos who understand the challenges and the solutions. When you support Oxfam with a donation for Laos, you’re backing:
Local partnerships
Every program is grounded in community knowledge and led by local organisations.
Long-term resilience
From climate advocacy to disaster preparation, we focus on lasting impact (not just emergency relief).
Proven accountability
As a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Oxfam follows the highest standards of transparency and effectiveness.
A regional approach
Our work in Laos is part of a wider strategy, ensuring solutions are shared, connected and led by the Mekong region itself.
Justice over charity
We support communities to lead their own future. It’s not about charity. It’s about fairness, dignity and equal rights.
How your donation helps
Every donation to Oxfam supports community-led programs in Laos. Here’s what your support can help make possible:
- Support for women leaders — especially in advocacy and community organising
- Local climate solutions — like food security programs, sustainable livelihoods, and community education
- Stronger disaster preparedness — through community-led planning, early warning systems, and local training
- Access to clean water and sanitation — critical during disasters and for long-term health
- Stronger regional advocacy — helping communities amplify their voices on the wider regional stage
Your donation is more than a moment of support. It’s a commitment to a more just and resilient future for the people of Laos.
Donate to Laos now
Help us work for justice and equality. By donating today, you’re backing the leadership of Laos communities facing climate extremes and rapid development head-on. Every contribution helps provide practical tools, long-term support, and builds better systems for the future.
Donate now to support justice and equality in Laos.
Learn more about Oxfam’s work in the region
Want to understand the bigger picture? Explore how Oxfam works across the Asia-Pacific region to support community-led climate action and push for global systems that put justice first.
Discover Oxfam’s gender equality work, or our stance on climate justice. Read about how we’re working with partners across the globe to support local solutions to the climate crisis and gender injustice.
You can also explore our current appeals or learn more about how we work in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Oxfam’s partners
Lao Women’s Union (LWU), Oxfam in Laos, Green Community Alliance, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law, and Development, Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA), Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Department of Social Welfare, University of Champasack Province, University of Luang Prabang Province, Oxfam Novib
