VIENTIANE, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved a new project totaling 56 million U.S. dollars for upgrading roads in Laos, helping about 600,000 people access public services and markets more easily while making rural roads more resilient to climate change.

The Laos Climate Resilient Road Connectivity Improvement Project will support the Lao government to improve around 300 km of district and rural roads in Khammuan, Saravan and Savannakhet provinces, Lao News Agency reported on Thursday.

The project is funded by the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), which helps low-income countries build a better future through low-interest credits that can be repaid over a long period.

Road investments in Laos have tended to focus on national arteries, leaving more remote areas underserved. With extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and flooding becoming more common, even existing roads are becoming harder to use.

This new project is designed to benefit farmers and women especially, by giving them year-round connections to the services they need to help their families and communities thrive.

The project will also support an internship program for women university students and recent graduates, providing six months of paid training in transportation and construction at the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Enditem

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