Triple Bottom Line Training Helps Lower Mekong Countries Assess Value of Protected Areas

“Triple bottom line” valuation is an approach used to assess the full value of protected natural resource areas, like national parks, accounting for the economic, social, and environmental benefits they provide to society.  As a result, policymakers, park managers, and other stakeholders are better equipped to capture the full value provided by protected areas, including…

USAID Plans to Help Myanmar’s Economic Development

USAID/RDMA has continued to support rapid engagement with USAID-Myanmar in support of Myanmar’s efforts to continue its economic reforms, particularly relating to strengthening the rule of law, and increasing transparency. From September 25 to October 3, consultants from the ASEAN Connectivity through Trade and Investment (ACTI) project met with officials from USAID, GIZ, the Asia…

Smart Infrastructure for the Mekong Factsheet

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Integrating the ASEAN Healthcare Sector through Increased Medical Devices Harmonization

The harmonization of medical devices across the region is vital to having an integrated healthcare sector, which remains a priority as ASEAN moves towards an ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.  To boost the capacity of medical device regulators and medical device industry, more than 190 participants took part in two trainings on Medical Device Harmonization…

NEWS: Cambodia to Host 5th Lower Mekong Initiative Regional Working Group Meeting

Cambodia will host the 5th meeting of regional working group of Lower Mekong Initiative to be held from 6-7 Nov in Siem Reap province, the media release said.The meeting will focus on agriculture, food safety, education, energy safety, and environment and water resource and health issues and other related issues.The meeting will be chaired by Mr.…

Concept Note Submittal Form Smart Infrastructure for the Mekong (SIM) Program

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Climate Proofing Communities in Cambodia

The USAID-funded ADAPT Asia-Pacific project in partnership with the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) of the Royal Cambodia Government held a workshop in Siem Reap, Cambodia to disseminate the results of the study on 11 pilot community ponds for climate proofing in Banteay Meanchey Province.  More than 30 government officials representing the national and provincial…

Integrating Gender Equality in Climate Change Planning in Vietnam

From October 21-25, the Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (LEAF) program held a Gender Integrated Planning in Climate Change/REDD+ Training in Nghe An Province, Vietnam.  Held in partnership with Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management (WOCAN) and the Vietnam Forestry Administration (VNFOREST), this was the second training in a regional series…

Strengthening Grassroots Capacity on Equity in Forest Management in the Lower Mekong

USAID's Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in the Mekong (GREEN Mekong) launched its two-year capacity development series in Bangkok on October 14-18.  Over 21 grassroots civil society organizations (CSOs) from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the course designed to strengthen their abilities as facilitators to explain the concept and principles of…

Lao Officials Studied Best Practices from Thailand on Law Dissemination

On October 21-22, with the support of USAID/RDMA’s LUNA Laos project, Lao officials from the Ministry of Justice conducted a study mission in Bangkok at the offices of the Thai Royal Gazette Office, the Thai Ministry of Justice, and the Baker & McKenzie (U.S. Law Firm). They learnt best practices and shared lesson learnt with…

Lower Mekong Initiative Plan of Action

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Shared Vision Planning Helps Build Urban Resilience in Thailand

Shared vision planning is a decision-making process that uses scenario-planning tool and models to assess different options for building urban resilience to climate change.  From October 2-4, USAID’s Mekong-Building Climate Resilient Asian Cities (M-BRACE) program, in collaboration with ISET-International and the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), hosted a shared vision planning workshop in Udon Thani, Thailand…