Groundwater is fast becoming an alternative source of fresh water for many rural communities in southern
Laos in response to increasing rainfall variability and distribution, in conjunction with increasing competition
for surface water resources, including for agriculture, hydropower and mining. However, characterisation
of the region’s aquifer system is based largely on information derived from hydrogeological studies in
neighbouring parts of the Lower Mekong River Basin. The first objective of the research presented in this
paper was to identify the nature and extent of the aquifer system, and seasonal groundwater behaviour, in
the Soukhouma district, in southern Laos’ Champassak province. The second objective was to explore the
potential implications of overextraction of the groundwater resource. Our research findings highlight the need
for well-informed guidelines and policy interventions for sustainable groundwater development in this region.