Mekong - U.S. Partnership
News: U.S. Meets with Lower Mekong Countries in Laos
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times) -- Five Lower Mekong countries and the United States are taking steps to boost cooperation in key areas to drive development in the region with the U.S. pledging further support to help address challenges faced by the region.Around 100 delegates from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the U.S. met yesterday in…
The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Hosted the 6th Lower Mekong Initiative Regional Working Group Meeting
The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic hosted over 90 delegates from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, the United States and the ASEAN Secretariat on March 20-21, 2014 for the 6th Lower Mekong Initiative Regional Working Group Meeting.During the opening session, Vice Foreign Minister Bounkeut Sangsomsak and United States Ambassador Daniel Clune discussed the…
Advancing Innovative Carbon Emissions Reduction Strategy in Vietnam
On March 6, the USAID-funded Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests program supported partners from Vietnam’s Lam Dong Province in another big step toward adopting an innovative provincial REDD+ action plan.The provincial plan’s aim is to reduce emissions by 27 percent by 2020 and integrate emissions reduction activities into the provincial forest protection and development plan.…
Addressing Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Cambodia
On March 6, the USAID-funded Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests program co-organized a workshop on drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Cambodia in collaboration with the Forestry Administration of Cambodia, UN-REDD, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the USAID/Cambodia-funded Supporting Forests and Biodiversity program.At the workshop, participants planned a process to assess deforestation and forest…
Changes to Wildlife Law Debated at Top Thai University
On March 3rd, Thailand’s leading university, Chulalongkorn University, hosted a public Town Hall meeting to discuss the urgently needed revision of Thailand’s outdated wildlife protection law, the Wildlife Animal Preservation and Reservation Act (WARPA).The law was discussed and debated by academics, law enforcement officials, NGO representatives, and students who highlighted the weak penalties and legal…
Young Leaders from LMI Countries Visiting the U.S. Department of State
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Evan Ryan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Stevenson and Lower Mekong Initiative Lead Officer Matt Yarrington met with a group of 17 young political leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam at the start of their program at…
Airline Industry Joins Wildlife Protection Program
On February 20 and 21, flight attendants and cargo and baggage handlers from Delta Airlines and Kenya Airlines joined airport security and customs officials to learn how today’s traffickers are attempting to circumvent inspectors to smuggle rare and endangered wildlife through airports around the world. Together with Royal Thai Customs, Airports of Thailand, and the…
Engaging the Private Sector in Forest Conservation and Fire Management
On February 12th the USAID-funded Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests program met with members of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, the Ban Maw Maae Community, and the Tambon Administrative Organization of the Don Kaew Sub District near Chiang Mai, Thailand to establish a joint working group on forest…
Thousands of Stolen Turtles Returned to Wild After U.S.Government-supported Enforcement Training and Operation
More than two thousand rare turtles confiscated from traffickers last month in a U.S. government-supported cross border law enforcement operation were successfully repatriated to their native wild home in Indonesia on February 13.The “Pig-nosed” turtles (Carettochelys insculpta) were confiscated in Hong Kong on January 12th by local authorities after they received a tip-off during a global wildlife…
Newsletter to Promote Grassroots Equity in the Lower Mekong Forests
USAID's Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in the Mekong Program recently released the second issue of its bi-annual newsletter that showcases news and views on social equity in forest-based climate change mitigation policy and highlights equity resources from the region and beyond.The most recent issue shares updates on ongoing and upcoming program activities such as…
Advancing ASEAN Forestry and Climate Change Policy Development
From January 27 to February 7, 19 senior forestry officials from all 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States gather to study Australia and New Zealand’s experience in implementing forestry-related emissions reduction policies. The policy exchange in New Zealand was hosted by the ASEAN Regional Knowledge Network on Forestry and Climate Change, in…
Global Wildlife Protection Operation Cobra II Achieves Impressive Results
From December 2013 through January 2014, law enforcement officers from 28 countries conducted a ground-breaking, global operation to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, code-named “Operation Cobra II.” The month-long operation and capacity building activity promoted cross-border law enforcement cooperation and is drawing praise from the conservation community for its impressive results, including more than 400…
