REDD+ Financing and Action Plan Introduced to Senior ASEAN Officials

The USAID Lowering Emissions in Asian Forests Program has furthered its engagement with ASEAN on forestry and climate change by addressing the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry’s 15th Seminar on Current International Issues affecting Forestry and Forest Products on May 11, 2014, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.At the seminar, USAID Lowering Emissions in Asian Forests was recognized for contributions to forestry…

The LMI English Support Project Phase Two Symposium on English for Specific Purposes: Collaboration and Innovation

Over one hundred ministry of education officials, university English department heads, researchers, and lecturers from the five Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam), Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, participated in a two-day symposium, an activity under the Education Pillar in Bangkok, Thailand.The culminating event of the 2013-2014 LMI English Support…

NEWS: Cooperation in the Lower Mekong Stepped up

Senior officials of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam met with those from the United States to discuss sustainable economic growth in the Mekong sub-region in Yangon, Myanmar on June 8.The Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) SOM meeting, which involved the five Mekong countries and the U.S., touched upon cooperation for the next five years and…

Grassroots Equity Tops Agenda at ASEAN Conference on Social Forestry

The USAID-funded Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in the Mekong Program supported 14 forestry officials and civil society representatives from the Lower Mekong countries to join over 200 participants from governments, civil society organizations and other stakeholders at the ASEAN Social Forestry Network annual conference in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia from May 24 to 26.Conference participants…

USAID Partner Targets Wildlife Trafficking at Major Port in Southeast Asia

On 20 May 2014, Wildlife Alliance, a partner of the USAID-funded Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking Program, conducted a wildlife trafficking seminar at Cambodia’s Port of Sihanoukville.Thirty-three participants attended the event including customs officials, immigration police, port authority staff, and private sector shipping companies. The objectives of this training were to raise awareness…

Lower Mekong Civil Society Organizations Gain Further Skills to Promote Grassroots Equity

On May 28 to 30, representatives of 20 civil society organizations from five Lower Mekong countries took part in the Second Civil Society Organizations Capacity Development Workshop funded by USAID’s Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in the Mekong Program.The workshop is part of the continuous effort to support and strengthen capacities of the targeted civil society organizations to…

Launch of Innovative Regional Learning Group on Equity in Forest Governance

From April 28 to May 2, USAID’s Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in the Mekong Program launched its Regional Learning Group on Equity in Forest Governance and organized its first learning event in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.Twenty-two sub-national government officials from Lower Mekong countries, including Cambodia, Laos PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, participated and will continue…

USAID and U.S. Forest Service Build Foundation for Carbon Mitigation through Better Management of Mangrove Ecosystems

From April 21 to May 3, experts from the USAID Low Emissions Asian Development program and U.S. Forest Service trained 38 Cambodian participants from eight government agencies and three universities on how to measure the amount of carbon stored in mangroves and other forested wetlands.The 11-day, intensive field training in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia, is…

Experts Spark Regional Dialogue on Women’s Inclusion in Climate Change and Forestry Programs

From March 26 to 27, over 60 land-use, forest governance, gender, and climate change experts from public and private sectors gathered in Bangkok for an Asia-Pacific Workshop on women’s inclusion for sustainable forests and climate.The USAID Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests program organized the workshop through a joint initiative with the UN-REDD Programme and Women…

Asian Policymakers Improve Energy and Climate Change Policy Analysis

In recent weeks, the USAID Low Emissions Asian Development program conducted two regional workshops to help government agencies track energy consumption, production and resource extraction in all economic sectors.  Using an innovative tool, the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) System, the government agencies learned to conduct energy policy analyses and greenhouse gas mitigation assessments.The first…

Press Release: Lao PDR Hosts Lower Mekong Initiative Regional Working Group

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.  The Lower Mekong Initiative is a multinational forum for addressing trans-boundary policy and development challenges in…

LMI Phase 2 English Language Support Project Forum: Strengthening Professional Collaboration Skills

What happens when outstanding government officials, researchers, and lecturers from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand from the Agriculture and Food Security, Environment and Water Security, and Connectivity LMI pillars come together for a three-day forum in Bangkok?  A successful showcasing of presentation and leadership skills, energized networking, and the development of potential collaborative projects. Three participants…