Welcome to the Greater Mekong Subregion
Environment Operations Center (EOC) website!
Workshops on Environmental Safeguards Mechanisms Train Regional Participants
GMS Regional Trading and Environmentally Sustainable Development of Electricity Infrastructure (ADB GMS RETA 6440) organized a four-day training workshop on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA).
The workshop was held 14 - 18 September 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. GMS-EOC contributed by delivering presentations on Climate Change, New Considerations and Environmental Indicators
[click here for more information]
Biodiversity Corridor in Xishuangbanna at the frontier of ecosystem management
The Xishuangbanna Biodiversity Corridor, one of 5 BCI sites in the GMS, has been identified as a leader in achieving its mission of preserving tropical biodiversity at the frontier of in situ ecosystem management.
The Xishuangbanna conservation complex connects nature reserves through a series of corridors; directly promoting the reintroduction of important or valuable native species, focused habitat restoration, assisted migration of species that are vulnerable to climate change, and creative local collaboration with governments, NGOs and indigenous peoples.
The Project was identified in an article of Trends in Plant Sciences, the leading monthly review journal in plant science featuring broad coverage of basic plant science, from molecular biology through to ecology.
[click here for the full article] (source: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden)
New Initiative to Develop Capacity on Integrated Spatial Planning Tools in Lao PDR
WREA, supported by EOC, convened a meeting with representatives from NLMA, MAF-DOF, MPI and WWF to initiate the implementation of "Agricultural suitability assessments using Spatial Multi-Criteria Analysis",
a CEP-supported activity. The government delegates were introduced to the methodology and implementation arrangements including the formation of an ad hoc national expert group were discussed and agreed upon.
Spatial data collection and expert consultations have commenced and are expected to be completed by the end of October.
Workshop on "Experiences and Challenges in Biodiversity Policy Development in GMS Countries"
A 3-day workshop on Biodiversity Policy Development in the GMS was co-organized by MONRE Viet Nam and the EOC
with the aim of: i) sharing the subregion’s experiences and challenges in developing and finalizing biodiversity policy and its implementation;
and ii) presenting the activities on biodiversity conservation in GMS countries.
The workshop participants were scientists, planners and lawyers from the various state and non-state agencies supporting the development of the biodiversity law in Viet Nam.
A trip to the marine protected area of Ha Long was also organized on the third day.
[click here for more information]
BCI Beneficiary Feedback Photo Essay
This Photo Essay features the BCI beneficiaries from local communities in Xepian-Dong Hua Sao Biodiversity Corridor, Champasak province, Lao PDR.
[Photo Essay | 2.16MB][PDF: 2.75MB | 30 pages]
15th Working Group on Environment Annual Meeting
The 15th Working Group on Environment Annual Meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 2-3 July 2009.
The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Ampan Pintukanok, Director, International Cooperation on Natural Resources and Environment of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) of Thailand,
and Mr. Pavit Ramachandran, Environment Specialist (Regional Cooperation), Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Southeast Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank.
[click here for more information]
South-East Asia Workshop on Payments for Ecosystem Services
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the Asian Development Bank-Environment Operations Centre (ADB-EOC),
the Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) were jointly organizing a workshop
to catalyze and support development and application of payment for environmental services as a policy tool for achieving national urban and rural economic development targets.
[click here for more information]
Mekong Ministers Meet in Cha Am to Discuss GMS Cooperation Plan
Ministers from six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) nations met in Cha-Am, Petchburi province in Thailand 17 – 19 June
to review ongoing efforts to forge closer links amongst the six countries.
[click here for more information]
EOC Marks World Environment Day 2009
This year’s World Environment Day calls for each individual to unite to combat climate change.
The Environment Operations Center works to mainstream environmental considerations into the main sectors of regional development
and has established six biodiversity conservation corridor pilot sites to combine poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation in protected areas.
[click here for more information]
The photos in the montage featured for World Environment Day 2009 were taken at pilot sites across the GMS, allowing the viewer
to catch a glimpse of everyday life for the millions of people who live in the forests of the GMS – and who, as many of the communities are poor and vulnerable,
will be dramatically affected by climate change.
EOC at IAIA Conference in Accra, Ghana
Pavit Ramachandran was EOC’s representative at the IAIA annual conference in Accra Ghana. This year’s overall theme was: ”Impact Assessments and Human Well Being”,
and through two papers and presentations he highlighted the Core Environment Program and its activities in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
[click here for more information]
National Committee Meeting on CEP-BCI opened by HE Mok Mareth
On Thursday 21st May 2009 at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the national committee meeting on the GMS Core Environment Program and Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative Pilot Project was held.
Participants included GMS EOC, Wildlife Alliance, WWF, Conservation International and FFI, and the meeting was chaired by HE Dr. Mok Mareth, Senior Minister & Minister of the Environment.
[click here for more information]
