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IGES-ADB Collaboration in Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Core Environment Program (CEP)

Photo: Ayako Hongo, IGES

1. Background
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) are mutually interested in a collaborative partnership to implement the Greater Mekong Subregion*(GMS) Core Environment Program (CEP) which was approved in December 2005.
* Comprises Cambodia, People's Republic of China (Guangxi Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.

ADB's Regional Technical Assistance (RETA) 6289 "Core Environment Program and Biodiversity Conservation Corridor Initiative in the Greater Mekong Subregion" aims to enhance the environmental sustainability and social equity of the GMS Economic Cooperation Program. There are five components of the TA: (i) environmental assessment of economic sector strategies and corridors; (ii) biodiversity conservation and biodiversity corridor initiative (BCI) implementation; (iii) environmental performance assessments and sustainable development planning; (iv) development and institutionalization of GMS capacity for environmental management; and (v) program development, delivery, and sustainable financing.

Publications

GMS Conference Paper Series

#01: Making the Link: Greater Mekong Subregion Environmental Performance Assessment And Sustainable Development Strategies

#02: Greater Mekong Subregion Environmental Performance Assessment and Sustainable Development Planning: Performance Indicators

#03: Subregional Environmental Performance Assessment: Greater Mekong Subregion

2. IGES Role in CEP
Among the five components, IGES has focused on component (iii) on environmental performance assessment (EPA) and sustainable development planning. This component has been built on the results of the Strategic Environmental Framework(SEF) I and SEF II (in which IGES was also involved). It aims to have enhanced and institutionalized EPA use in the GMS countries after completion of the program in 2008. As Executing Agency for RETA 6289, ADB will:

	i	Assist GMS countries in mainstreaming environmental performance assessment (EPA);
	ii	Facilitate creation of an EPA Support Network in each GMS country;
	iii	Identify the scope and form of subregional EPA and the role of the Environment Operations Center (EOC) for coordinating subregional EPA;
	iv	Review the scope for local-level EPAs as well as preparing the first provincial EPA for Guangxi Autonomous Region of PRC; and
	v	Design and conduct data management training courses, in association with the US Environment Protection Agency (USEPA);
	vi	Develop an agreed set of environmental concerns and performance indicators in the GMS countries, based on the drivers-pressures-state-impact-response framework; and
	vii	Engage other development partners to contribute to the development of agreed performance indicators.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be sub-contracted by ADB to carry out the bulk of this work.

IGES as a key partner will contribute to this component by:

	i	Conducting applied, strategic research on sustainable development planning as part of the implementation of component (iii);
	ii	Providing support to capacity building inputs planned under component (iii);
	iii	Conducting applied, strategic research on trade and environment issues, in the context of trade facilitation through the GMS Economic Cooperation Program;
	iv	Assisting GMS countries to review and improve their integrated sustainable development planning, setting of goals and targets, and incorporating sustainability indicators in the next round of environmental performance assessments; and
	v	Examining the potential spillover effects from the GMS Economic Cooperation Program into broader Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) trade negotiations and facilitation, and their environmental consequences.

3. Key Activities and IGES Contribution
IGES will collaborate with the GMS EOC (and UNEP) in conducting applied, strategic research on environmental performance assessment and assist in implementing component (iii) of the Core Environment Program with supporting activities, financial, in cash and kind, and staff contributions. The key activities and IGES contribution are shown on the project website.

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