Mekong - U.S. Partnership
New Report Compares Payments for Environmental Services in Greater Mekong Region
With support from USAID, the Center for International Forestry Research recently published the “Regional Synthesis of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) in the Greater Mekong Region.” The report combined studies on PES schemes in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to compare the various schemes and assess their current statuses, implementation processes and lessons learned.The paper…
USAID MPE and PFAN-Asia Make the Business Case for Environmental, Social and Governance Principles
With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), the Mekong Partnership for the Environment and Private Financing Advisory Network (USAID PFAN-Asia) brought together over 40 non-government organizations, civil society and private sector representatives in the Mekong region to learn about emerging international trends in sustainable investment and environmental,…
USAID LEAD and VFD Programs Conduct Training to Support Green Growth Planning in Thanh Hoa Vietnam
From March 18 to 19 in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, the USAID LEAD and USAID-funded Vietnam Forest and Deltas programs provided training for 15 representatives from provincial departments and academies on the “Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) Analysis to Support Deriving Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets.” Attendees learned MACC concepts, approaches and analysis data needs.They also…
USAID Launches Initiative to Further Green Growth in Chiang Mai
The USAID Low Emissions Asian Development (USAID LEAD) program launched the Hotel Energy Efficiency Initiative in Chiang Mai, Thailand on March 13. A collaboration between USAID LEAD and the Chiang Mai Municipality, it improves energy efficiency in Thailand’s hospitality sector and helps develop and promote the deployment of greenhouse gas protocols and tools throughout the…
Thuan Hoa Villagers to Pilot Adaptation Measures to Climate Change
At a recent ceremony organized by the U.S. Agency for International Development Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change (USAID Mekong ARCC) project and with partners Asian Management and Development Institute (AMDI) and the Vietnam Red Cross, over 300 households in Thuan Hoa commune in Vietnam’s Kien Giang Province received tools to help them adapt…
Improved Women’s Awareness of Climate Change Found in Thailand and Vietnam
The USAID Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change (USAID Mekong ARCC) project surveyed climate change awareness among 290 women in rural communities in Thailand (Chiang Rai and Sakon Nakhon) and Vietnam (Kien Giang) before and after conducting climate change awareness raising activities.Among the results were that 85 percent of women in target communities were…
New iTHINK Global Online Wildlife Conservation Forum in Vietnam
On March 3, the iTHINK Global Online Wildlife Conservation Forum went live on www.ithink-now.org. The website is designed to provide the conservation community and the general public with tools to support biodiversity conservation.The forum is available in Vietnamese and English and allows users to engage in wildlife conservation issues, while also inspiring conservationists to showcase…
USAID’s PFAN-Asia Delivers Interactive Workshop to Promote Energy Efficiency in Thailand
USAID’s Private Financing Advisory Network-Asia (USAID PFAN-Asia), in collaboration with the Thailand Energy Service Companies Association (Thai ESCO), Thailand’s Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency and the Institute of Industrial Energy of the Federation of Thai Industries, co-organized a workshop titled “ESCO Business Model-Experiences from USA, China and Indonesia,” which took place on March…
Gender Champions Explain the Importance of Gender Integration in Climate Change Interventions
For International Women’s Day on March 8, the U.S. Agency for International Development Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (USAID LEAF) program released a short film on its Asia-Pacific Leadership Initiative on Gender and Climate Change.The initiative presents how men and women can make significant contributions to gender integration into climate change issues. Twenty-four gender champions…
Lower Mekong Provincial Forestry Officials Dive into Social Equity Issues at Regional Learning Group Event
Last week in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 19 senior provincial forestry officials from the Lower Mekong region reunited for the Third Regional Learning Group on Equitable Forest Governance, a series of learning events organized by USAID’s Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in the Mekong project.The officials further developed their ability to assess and promote grassroots equity…
The U.S. and Vietnam Team Up to Protect Wildlife
On March 3, top officials from Vietnam, the United States and the international wildlife community joined forces to launch Operation Game Change (OGC) in Hanoi, coinciding with World Wildlife Day. OGC brings governments, non-governmental organizations, students and celebrities from Vietnam, the U.S. and South Africa together to stop the illegal trade of rhino horns and…
USAID LEAF Releases Gender Analysis of Lam Dong Provincial REDD+ Action Plan
The U.S. Agency for International Development Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (USAID LEAF) program released the “Gender Analysis of Lam Dong’s Provincial REDD+ Action Plan” this week.Developed in collaboration with and the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD), the report provides analysis of Lam Dong’s Provincial REDD+ Action…
