The GMS Core Environment Program:

1. The GMS Core Environment Program: Integrating Environmental Sustainability into Development of the Greater Mekong Subregion Global Environment Facility - Country Support Program Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in East and Southeast Asia 2 April 2007 Javed Mir, Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist David McCauley, GEF Facilitator Asian Development Bank

2. Outline of the Presentation • The Greater Mekong Subregion & Program • GMS Environmental Working Group • GMS Core Environment Program • Integrating Global Environmental Concerns • Lessons Learned and Next Steps

3. Recent Economic Expansion in the GMS a/ Excludes PRC.

4. GMS Program Organizational Structure GMS SUMMIT GOVERNMENT NATIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE National Coordinator ADB -------------- Secretariat GMS MINISTERIAL MEETING GMS SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING (SOM) WG on Agriculture (WGA) GMS Business Forum WG on Environment (WGE) Tourism WG (TWG) WG on HRD (WGHRD) Sub. Telecoms Forum Sub. Investment WG Sub. Transport Forum Trade Facilitation WG Energy Setor Forum Ad Hoc SG on Customs RPTCC Focal Group

5. Overview of the GMS Program • Members: • Cambodia, People’s Republic of China • Lao People’s Democratic Republic, • Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam • Investment Program: • 26 investment projects over 12 years • Investments of $6.5 billion • ADB contribution of $1.8 billion • ADB project cofinancing of $2.6 billion • 124 technical assistance projects • Grants of $148 million ($69 million ADB) • Initiatives: • - Cross-border Transport Agreement • Phnom Penh Plan for Development • Management • - Core Environment Program • - GMS Energy Strategy

6. “We welcome the recommendations by the ministers on the implementation of the Core Environment Program, together with local communities and development partners at their meeting in Shanghai, China in May 2005.” (July 2005, Kunming, PRC)

7. “If we do not take care of our natural resources and biodiversity, the region cannot realize its economic potential.”

8. GMS Core Environment Program - Vision A poverty-free and ecologically rich GMS

9. Core Environment Program – Objectives • Embed environmental dimensions in GMS Economic Cooperation Program • Positively influence GMS development process, strategies and investments • Integrate and synergize poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation • Partner with state and non-state stakeholders on resource mobilization (knowledge, human and financial) coupled with program development and implementation

10. Spatial Elements of the GMS CEP

11. Targets - Phase 1(2006-2008) • Integrate environmental concerns into development planning (NSEC, tourism, energy sectors) • Establish structure for GMS biodiversity corridors based on work in at least five pilot sites • Develop pro-poor biodiversity conservation management plans for three protected areas • Institutionalize use of environmental performance assessment and NSDS, develop regional indicators • Develop for Phase II (2009-2015) an ADB/GEF partnership and investment program • Prepare proposals for sustainable financing mechanisms (by 2008)

12. Environmental Assessment of Economic Corridors and Sector Strategies Activities: • Develop national-level capacity for environmental assessment of energy, transport and tourism strategies and plans • Assess potential environmental impacts of GMS energy, transport and tourism strategies and investments Component 1 Aim: Ensure GMS development strategies and investment plans are environmentally sound, economically efficient and socially equitable

13. Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative Activities: • Initiate at least five biodiversity corridor pilot sites tied to GMS economic corridors • Link biodiversity conservation to poverty reduction Component 2 Aim: Establish sustainable management and use regimes in the GMS biodiversity conservation corridors

14. Environmental Performance Assessments Activities: • Monitor the state of the environment and build environmental performance assessment capacity • Link environmental performance assessment to national economic and sector development, planning and monitoring processes Component 3 Aim: Build on SEF I & II to enhance and institutionalize environmental performance assessment capacity and use

15. Capacity Building for Environmental Management Activities: • Identify options for institutionalizing the functions of the Environment Operations Center • Build capacity for integrating sustainable development considerations into planning and monitoring • Develop capacity and networks for environmental information/knowledge generation and management • Build stakeholder platforms and networks Component 4 Aim: Self-sustaining GMS environmental governance and management regime

16. Sustainable Financing Activities: Prepare a Core Enviroment Program / Biodiversity Corridors Initiative investment framework for 2009-2015 Component 5 Aim: Initiate strategies and mechanisms to promote the financial sustainability of landscape conservation and environmental management efforts in the GMS

17. Areas of Emphasis – Phase 2 (2009-2015) • Further develop GMS environmental management and institutional capacity building • Firmly establish biodiversity corridors and upscale investments tied to watershed restoration and protection • Encourage sustainable transport through public-private partnerships • Identify high priority climate change risks and introduce appropriate adaptation measures

18. Core Environment Program – Innovations • Makes active use of partnerships (currently over 30 partners) • Incorporates cross-sectoral development synergies and environmental risks • Applies landscape management approach • Includes attention to emerging threats – climate change, acid rain, social/cultural risks

19. Environmental Mainstreaming Achievements Implementation in early stages, but mainstreaming efforts center on: • Improved environment-sectoral communications: Facilitating cross-sectoral engagement between the Working Group on Environment and GMS development/investment planning bodies in transport, energy (hydropower) and tourism sectors. • Partnerships: Bringing together multiple actors – state, communities, NGOs, universities, bilateral and multilateral partners on one common platform. • Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Applied to key sectors in GMS Program covering >$3.5 billion now and expected to be >$25 billion by 2015. Using several spatial scales: national, provincial, subregional economic corridors. • Poverty-environment linkages: Biodiversity conservation in high priority landscapes linked to local livelihoods development through SEAs tied to conservation investments • Environmental investments: Developing an environmentally focused investment framework which will amount to about $1 billion vis-à-vis $10 -$15 billion of infrastructure investments.

20. Environmental Mainstreaming Challenges Primarily Facing Human Resource Constraints: • Central and provincial level capacity to undertake integrated development planning • Staff at environment agencies and key decision making ministries to engage on environment and development issues • Complex program planning and reporting over-loads staff Responses: • Embedding initiatives within mainstream development and conservation plans and programs • Augmenting public sector capacity by bringing in communities and non-state actors • Using SEAs to provide a platform for bringing people, skills and programs together • Enabling local communities to generate and manage information, knowledge and financial resources, and become the key decision makers and service providers

21. Lessons: Mainstreaming Global Concerns Still early in the process, but some preliminary lessons: • Taking a long-term view: Biodiversity and climate change issues require longer term perspective, and the GMS program provides it • Subregional facilitation: Country-driven vision and approach essential, but GMS program allows neutral framwork for subregional cooperation. • Relevance to Key Audiences: Environment must be seen not as a constraint, but adding value to everyday lives and jobs for communities, benefits for line agencies, and so on. • Multi-stakeholder Networks: Integrative planning is time and information/ knowledge intensive. No single actor including the State can do it. • Flexibility to Act: Need an adaptive planning and implementation mode with robust knowledge/technological back-up system.

22. Thank you!