VIENTIANE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from the Lao government and its partners convened a two-day workshop on strengthening early warning systems for persons with disabilities, in response to the growing severity of disasters and heatwaves driven by climate change.

The Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Lao Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) collaborated to convene the workshop, held in the Lao capital Vientiane from Thursday to Friday.

Laos is facing growing risks from hydro-meteorological hazards, such as storms, floods, droughts, and heatwaves, intensified by climate change, the local Pasaxon newspaper reported on Thursday.

The workshop builds on findings from the Early Warning Systems Perception Survey, which revealed significant challenges faced by persons with disabilities in receiving and acting on early warning information. These gaps risk lives and weaken emergency response capabilities. ■