Building Regional Capacity of Future Climate Change Leaders

From August 5-16, 2013, LEAF, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, held a two-week regional Climate Change Curriculum Development Training Workshop in Bangkok.  Professors from 12 Southeast Asian universities and three U.S. universities tested collaboratively-developed climate change modules and teaching materials for basic climate change, land use planning, forest carbon measurement and monitoring, and…

Press Release: Embassy Hanoi Hosts First-ever Model East Asia Summit

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi hosted the first-ever Model East Asia Summit (Model EAS) for 33 high school and university students at the Embassy’s American Center on August 16, 2013.  Based on the popular American extracurricular activity Model United Nations, the Model EAS program allows students to exchange ideas on policy issues that are relevant…

CAP-Malaria Project Trains Motorcycle Taxi Drivers to Teach Their Passengers about Malaria

The majority of Burmese migrants living along the Thai-Myanmar border take motorcycle taxis to work.  On August 8, 2013, the Control and Prevention of Malaria (CAP-Malaria) team in collaboration with Kraburi Vector Bone Disease Control Unit and local police organized a health education training for motorcycle taxi drivers to teach them basic malaria knowledge and build…

LEAF Climate Change Curriculum Development Workshop

The Lowering Emissions in Asian’s Forests (LEAF) program is working with universities across the region to create climate change curriculum in REDD+ and related climate change fields.  The US Forest Service (USFS) works with LEAF to provide strategic technical support  by engaging a team of US forestry education specialists and academics to work with universities…

Health Insurance at the Cambodia-Thailand Border

Control and Prevention of Malaria (CAP-Malaria) staff recently met with Provincial Health Center staff in Thailand to plan for the launch of the Thai-Khmer Malaria Patient Card. The card will be piloted at health facilities offering malaria services in the bordering cities of Pailin, Cambodia and Chanthaburi, Thailand. The Thai-Khmer Patient Card is the first insurance…

Getting Ahead of Emerging Infectious Diseases

The USAID-supported Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) program RESPOND project organized a wildlife health capacity assessment forum, August 13 - 15th in Bangkok.  Co-hosted by the Royal Thai Government, Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation; Zoological Park Organization; and Mahidol University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the forum convened over 70 wildlife health professionals from…

Brave Rangers Honored on World Ranger Day

On July 31st, Thailand’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) pledged better capacity building and welfare programs for its park rangers at an event marking World Ranger Day in Thailand’s Eastern Forest Complex. The minister recognized that rangers are the front-line of defense and are often poorly equipped and under-trained. Rangers face growing threats…

New Mapping and Remote Sensing Training Improves Sustainable Forest Management in Vietnam

In collaboration with the Con Cuong Forestry Company and Con Cuong Protection Forest Management Board, LEAF recently finalized a new and modernized forest cover and classification map.  Both Con Cuong agencies had previously relied on an outdated map, which severely restricted the effectiveness of overall forest management practices including harvesting, plantation and planning activities.  Dr.…

Research Endorses Transnational Cooperation in Health in the Mekong

Washington — The United States has vital interests in helping to improve health among hundreds of millions of people in Southeast Asia, currently vulnerable to emerging disease threats. That is an important objective of the Obama administration’s initiative to “rebalance” policies toward Asia, and one receiving new endorsement from a prestigious international relations research organization.The…

Assessing Threats to LMI Livelihoods, Communities, and Ecosystems

View Resource

Lower Mekong Initiative

View Resource

Lower Mekong Initiative: Environment and Water Pillar

View Resource