A dataset for climate, land, energy and water systems modelling in Lao PDR

Policymaking often treats economic and resource sectors in isolation of one another, neglecting to consider the interconnections between a country's climate, land, energy and water (CLEW) systems. This approach can lead to system inefficiencies and unintended consequences, as the synergies and trade-offs between sectors are overlooked. A nexus-thinking approach addresses this issue by considering multiple resources and their interlinkages in the analytical and decision-making processes, enabling policymakers to make more informed decisions. This article presents a dataset containing techno-economic data inputs specific to the Lao PDR's (Laos') CLEW systems, in the context that Laos' policymaking has traditionally treated sectors independently. The CLEWs systems data were collected from various open-access resources, including online repositories and national reports, with the objective to facilitate integrated resource system modelling assessments for Laos that incorporate a nexus-thinking approach. To support this objective, this article also describes the calculations used to process raw data to meet typical systems modelling software requirements, using the Open-Source Energy Modelling Systems (OSeMOSYS) framework as a reference. By including greenhouse gas emission factors, this dataset provides the basis for long-term scenario planning that can inform Laos' national decarbonisation strategy, whilst accounting for other potential cross-sector dynamics. The structure and documentation of this dataset also has significant reuse potential, as it lays the foundation for other researchers to replicate similar CLEW datasets for resource system assessments in other countries with similar economic and environmental backgrounds.