WATER, GENDER MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN THE LAO PDR CONTEXT

1. WATER, GENDER & MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN THE LAO PDR CONTEXT

2. Context and Relevance of Water-Gender Linkages to Achieving MDGs Important to note that �gender� means both females and males, while recognizing that women tend to be more disadvantaged Poor households rely disproportionately on natural resources and the environment for their livelihoods and income The poor are more vulnerable to human-caused hydrological changes as well as natural disasters such as droughts and floods and to the ongoing impacts of climate change On a broader scale, natural resources such as fisheries play a larger role in the national income and wealth of less developed economies The contribution of water resources to poverty reduction and human well-being can be expressed through the lens of the MDGs

3. Millennium Development Goals Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV / AIDS, malaria, and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for development