Within this broader effort, the project focuses on Output 4 - improving nutrition awareness and WASH conditions in rural communities through integrated, nutrition-sensitive agriculture and behaviour change approaches. The objective is to increase year-round access to diverse, nutritious foods while supporting healthier household environments and practices.

Output 4 is implemented in up to 120 villages across five districts in Houaphan and Xieng Khouang provinces, targeting communities located within irrigation command areas and surrounding watersheds. The project prioritises groups most vulnerable to malnutrition, including women of reproductive age, pregnant and lactating women, mothers of young children, adolescent girls, and smallholder farming households.

The project runs from March 2023 to 2026. It is funded by the European Union with a contribution of EUR 4 million for the nutrition component, within the wider USD 51.46 million SRIWMSP programme administered by the Asian Development Bank. Implementation is led by the World Food Programme in partnership with SNV, working closely with national and sub-national government institutions

Rural communities in Lao PDR continue to face persistent malnutrition, limited dietary diversity, and inadequate WASH conditions. These challenges are shaped by structural factors including remoteness, limited market access, seasonal food availability, and low awareness of nutrition and hygiene practices.

Many households rely on subsistence agriculture that does not consistently provide nutrient-rich foods throughout the year. At the same time, weak WASH infrastructure and hygiene practices contribute to preventable illness, undermining nutrition outcomes, particularly for women and children.

While agricultural productivity is improving in some areas, this does not automatically translate into better diets. Local government systems responsible for nutrition also require stronger capacity to plan, coordinate, and deliver nutrition-sensitive interventions.

Within this context, SNV focuses on addressing the barriers that prevent households from accessing and consuming diverse and nutritious foods. This includes strengthening local systems, improving nutrition knowledge and practices, and supporting behaviour change at community level.

The project combines system strengthening with community-level action, working through existing government structures.

Key elements include:

• Strengthening the capacity of district and provincial authorities on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, planning, and monitoring

• Supporting Village Nutrition Clubs to promote home gardens, small livestock production, and improved food practices

• Delivering Social and Behaviour Change Communication to improve nutrition, gender, and hygiene practices

• Identifying WASH gaps and linking them to local planning and infrastructure investments

• Using monitoring and learning systems to adapt interventions based on evidence and community feedback

• Improved diets and nutrition: Households, particularly women and children, have increased access to and consumption of diverse and nutritious foods

• Stronger local systems: District and village institutions are better equipped to plan, implement, and sustain nutrition-sensitive interventions

• Improved hygiene practices: Communities adopt better WASH behaviours, contributing to improved health and nutrition outcomes

By combining nutrition‑sensitive agriculture, behaviour change communication, WASH improvements, and system strengthening, the project addresses both immediate and structural drivers of malnutrition in remote districts of Houaphanh and Xieng Khouang. The expected outcomes reinforce one another: improved production increases availability of nutritious foods; strengthened systems ensure sustainability; and better WASH conditions create the environment needed for nutrition gains to translate into healthier families.