Mekong - U.S. Partnership
Leaders from M-BRACE Cities Meet to Share Challenges, Opportunities and Regional Linkages
Core stakeholders from four cities—Hue and Lao Cai, Vietnam and Phuket and Udon Thani, Thailand—met in Hue last week for the USAID Mekong-Building Climate Resilience in Asian Cities (USAID M-BRACE) project’s final workshop.The participants learned how their colleagues have been assessing and responding to the complex challenges posed by urbanization and climate change. The challenges…
Experts Conduct Gap Analyses of Rice/Shrimp Aquaculture Systems in Vietnam Mekong Delta
A team of specialists from Vietnam’s Can Tho University, the United States Agency for International Development’s Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change project (USAID Mekong ARCC) and other USAID Mekong ARCC partners conducted a gap analysis of rice/shrimp aquaculture systems in the Thuan Hoa commune in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.They assessed farming practices and interviewed…
U.S. Government Initiative Promotes Sustainable Development in Lower Mekong through Integrated Research
International experts in environmental research and policy gathered at a workshop on November 13, 2014 at the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program (FETP) Ho Chi Minh City. The event kicked off the new Lower Mekong Public Policy Initiative (LMPPI), supported with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project fulfills goals of the U.S. Government’s Lower…
Dalat University Adopts USAID LEAF Climate Change Curriculum as Required Course
Vietnam's Dalat University has adopted materials from the United States Agency for International Development’s Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (USAID LEAF) climate change curriculum to use in a mandatory course for all students. Developed over the past two years by 14 universities in USAID LEAF’s six core countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea,…
Mobiles for Development in Asia Award Applications Due November 14, 2014
USAID and FHI360 are sponsoring the Mobiles for Development in Asia Award and are now accepting applications. The award highlights promising mobile services, apps and other innovative uses of mobile technologies by Asia-based institutions that have the potential to impact development outcomes in climate change, food security, health, governance, biodiversity and fisheries.While applications from organizations…
Fin Free Youth Ambassador Extends Reach of Fin Free Campaign
On October 21, Fin Free Thailand representatives attended the Western Province Hotel association monthly meeting in Cha Am, Phetchaburi Province to promote the campaign to end the shark fin trade and to raise awareness of decreasing shark populations.Fin Free Youth Ambassador Phitchaya Thongthai, 13, presented the Fin Free Thailand campaign to more than 50 hotel…
Mobiles for Development Asia Forum Registration Open
The second annual Mobiles for Development Asia Forum, hosted by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and FHI 360, will take place in Bangkok on January 20 and 21, 2015. The purpose of the forum is to examine how to use mobiles for development in a more holistic, cross-cutting and inclusive manner.Space at the…
Forest Rangers Complete WildScan Species Identification Training
On October 16, 15 forest rangers from Thailand and Cambodia received in-depth training on WildScan, a new species identification and response application to combat wildlife trafficking now available for free on Android devices. The training was part of the Protected-area Operational and Tactical Enforcement Conservation Training (PROTECT) Team Leaders Course.Participants will pass on to their…
USAID Supports Improved National Forest Monitoring Systems in Asia
Over 90 participants from 18 countries in Asia attended the Fifth Regional Forest Monitoring Systems and Reference Levels for REDD+ workshop, held from October 20 to 22 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Hosted by UN-REDD, USAID’s Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests project (USAID LEAF), SilvaCarbon and the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, the workshop brought together participants to…
Center for International Forestry Research Publishes Paper on Payments for Environmental Services in Cambodia
With USAID support, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) recently published, “A review of payments for environmental services experiences in Cambodia.” The paper examines the legal and policy status of payments for environmental services (PES), including how they have been promoted by nongovernmental organizations and international donors and applied by the government in Cambodia.In…
Cambodia Holds Public Consultations for Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Law
From October 13 to 14, Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment and the Vishnu Law Group, with support from the USAID-supported Mekong Partnership for the Environment project implemented by Pact, held a public consultation workshop in Battambang province on Cambodia’s new Draft Law on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).More than 124 representatives from government ministries, civil society groups…
USAID Signs Agreement with Vietnam Province to Support New Sustainable Economic Growth Model
On October 7, 2014, in Thanh Hoa City, Vietnam, representatives from the USAID Vietnam Forests and Deltas program and the regional USAID Low Emissions Asian Development program signed a memorandum of understanding with the newly established Green Growth Task Force of Thanh Hoa Province that details USAID support for designing and implementing a green growth…
