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Component 3: Environmental Performance Assessments (EPAs)
Task Leader: Iain Watson
Overview:
For a quick overview of the GMS Core Environment Program that the Environmental Performance Assessments is a part of,
click here for the Fast facts - Core Environment Program
To learn more about the Environmental Performance Assessments in the GMS,
please click here for the Fast facts - Environmental Performance Assessments
Aim
- Benchmark and monitor socio-ecological conditions in the GMS.
- Enhance and institutionalize environmental performance assessment (EPA) use.
Implementation Challenges
- Still limited national institutional capacity.
- Lack of reliable national data to estimate indicator state and trends.
- Insufficient cross-sectoral linkages to influence relevant national and sub-regional planning processes.
- Need to identify common concerns among GMS countries.
- Need to establish sub-regional targets/objectives.
- Difficult to find data on transboundary issues.
Strategy
- Build on databases and systems created by previous environmental information projects (SEMIS, SEF).
- Assist GMS countries though technical strengthening of EPA being undertaken and in further institutionalizing EPA.
- Expand priority concerns & focus on identification of appropriate indicators.
- Improve the quality and consistency of EPA databases underlying indicator development.
- Effectively link EPA results with socio-(economic) development plans to ensure environmentally soundness.
Expected Results and Outcomes
- EPA institutionalization reinforced and inter-agency and cooperation enhanced.
- Strengthened capacity to independently conduct credible EPA that inform and influence policy and planning processes.
- Development of GMS-adapted indicators and supporting database will provide a harmonized platform for biodiversity and socio-economic (data) assessment.
Linking EPA and Sustainable Development Planning (SDP)
- Better linking EPA and national SDP so that strategic policy interventions necessary to attain long-term targets can be identified.
- Improving links between EPA and broader sectoral performance assessment.
- Setting more realistic, flexible NSDP targets as the basis of modifying the indicators for ongoing conduct of EPA.
- Assisting countries to move away from stand-alone NSDP to a continuous process of setting longer term targets within five-year socio-economic development plans and sector strategies.
- Changing institutional mandates to give national environmental agencies greater coordinating powers over the environmental plans and actions of other sectoral agencies.
- Resource Manual - Regional EPA and SDP Training (26-30 May 2008, Khon Kaen, Thailand):
[Module 1]
[Module 2]
[Module 3]
[Module 4]
[Module 5]
[Module 6]
[Module 7]
- Environmental Performance Assessment and Sustainable Development Planning in the Greater Mekong Subregion - Technical Working Paper I [PDF: 1.96MB | 129 pages]
Progress to date
- National Support Units (NSU) established and national EPA consultants recruited.
- Selection of national priority concerns ongoing.
- Common set of indicators under development.
- GIS Mapping Tools developed and available online as online MapTool, mapping layers (KML/KMZ files) for Google Earth are also available for downloading.
- Capacity building of GMS nationals on GIS technology carried out.
- Capacity building on data acquisition & compilation being planned.
EPA Reports
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