Laos is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events such as floods and droughts, which disrupt agriculture, livelihoods and food systems. Crop failures and food shortages have become a significant challenge for families, while malnutrition among children under five remains among the highest in Southeast Asia.
Save the Children's Climate-Adaptive Livelihoods programme helps families strengthen food security, improve nutrition, and build resilience to climate change through innovative home and school gardening approaches. The programme supports children, families and communities to adapt to changing environmental conditions while protecting children's wellbeing and access to education.
Why families in Laos need support
Many families in Laos depend on agriculture for food and income, yet climate change is making traditional farming increasingly difficult. Floods, droughts and economic shocks have reduced household purchasing power, depleted family savings, and increased vulnerability.
These pressures can force families to adopt harmful coping strategies, including child labour, early marriage and withdrawing children from education. At the same time, traditional gardening methods have not kept pace with climate change, limiting productivity and resilience.
Save the Children's Climate-Adaptive Livelihoods Programme
Over five years, Save the Children will support almost 700 households to establish climate-adaptive home gardens that improve nutrition, food security and household income.
Families will be trained in climate-smart gardening approaches, including:
- Intercropping and vertical layering to maximise productivity.
- Rainwater harvesting and low-cost irrigation systems.
- Composting and raised-bed cultivation.
- Drought-resistant and locally adapted crop varieties.
- Fast-growing and perennial crops that improve long-term food security.
School gardens will also be established, enabling children and teachers to learn modern gardening techniques while growing nutritious food. Participation in gardening activities helps children develop environmental awareness and practical skills while improving diets.
Children and young people will become local climate champions, helping raise awareness about climate change and supporting community preparedness for extreme weather events. Save the Children will also work alongside the Laos Youth Union and community groups to address issues such as child labour, early marriage and violence against children through community-led action planning.
How we know we'll make a difference
By combining climate adaptation, food security and child protection, the programme will help families become more resilient while creating safer environments for children.
Improved gardening practices will increase access to nutritious food, strengthen household incomes and reduce vulnerability to climate-related shocks. Community-led child protection initiatives will help ensure children remain safe, stay in school and can reach their full potential. Best practices from the programme will also be shared with local and national government agencies to support wider impact across Laos.
Impact snapshot
- Nearly 700 households supported with climate-adaptive home gardens.
- School gardens established to improve children's nutrition and learning.
- Climate-smart agriculture techniques introduced to communities.
- Children and youth trained as climate awareness champions.
- Community-led action plans developed to address child protection concerns.
- Successful approaches shared with government partners for wider adoption.
Who makes our programme possible
This programme is supported by the New Zealand International Development Cooperation Programme and made possible through the generosity of donors and partners who are helping communities in Laos build resilience, improve food security and create brighter futures for children.