The second edition of the Greater Mekong Subregion Atlas of the Environment again champions the environment of this unique part of Asia, an area straddled by rivers great and small, with bountiful watersheds, wetlands, and forests. The Atlas celebrates the peoples of the subregion, and presents the environmental and development challenges they face and their responses. It reminds us that the subregion’s peoples and communities are key to maintaining its environment. The Atlas captures in one volume maps, remote-sensing images, and essential information on one of the most culturally, ethnically, and biologically diverse regions in the world. The subregion is made up of Cambodia; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China; the Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Thailand; and Vietnam

The second edition of the Greater Mekong Subregion Atlas of the Environment again champions the environment of this unique part of Asia, an area straddled by rivers great and small, with bountiful watersheds, wetlands, and forests. The Atlas celebrates the peoples of the subregion, and presents the environmental and development challenges they face and their responses. It reminds us that the subregion's peoples and communities are key to maintaining its environment. The Atlas captures in one volume maps, remote-sensing images, and essential information on one of the most culturally, ethnically, and biologically diverse regions in the world. The subregion is made up of Cambodia; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province of the People's Republic of China; the Lao People's Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Thailand; and Viet Nam.

This report looks at both negative and positive drivers that affect forest change in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) in the last 25 years (1990-2015) in order to have a better understanding of their influence on forests in the region. It evaluates policies and measures in relation to drivers of forest change. Agricultural expansion, infrastructure development particularly hydropower dams and road construction, logging, mining operations and forest fires are the most dominant drivers of fores t loss in GMS. At a positive note, almost all countries in the region have adopted policies that support SFM and balance the social, economic and environmental aspects of forestry. Furthermore, there seems to be a movement towards sustainable policies which influence the shift towards SFM, forest conservation and afforestation and reforestation. Although it seems the policies addressing the drivers of deforestation exist at local, national and international level, their effectiveness has been mi xed. T his report presents forest changes in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) over a period of 25 years between 1990 and 2015. It describes key drivers that have affected these changes. Some drivers influenced forests negatively in that they resulted in deforestation and forest degradation. On the other hand, positive drivers promoted sustainable forest management (SFM), afforestation and reforestation and forest conservation.

The Mekong River is a vital and valuable resource, with huge development potential for the six states through which it flows. Given the significant asymmetry of power between those states, however, there is a real risk that some might utilise it to the detriment of others. Without a sense of regional belonging, it is difficult to imagine that these states and their constituent communities will take regional imperatives to heart, participate in joint regulatory frameworks, or adopt behaviours for upstream-downstream and lateral cooperation over the appropriation and use of their shared resources. How effectively has closer interdependence of the Mekong countries accommodated the development of a political-social-cultural space conducive to the growth of a regional "we-ness" among not only political elites, but also the general public? The contributors to this volume approach this question from a range of directions, including the impacts of tourism, regional development programmes, the Mekong Power Grid, and Sino-US rivalry. This edited volume presents valuable insights for scholars of international relations, Asian studies, development studies, environment studies, policy studies, and human geography.

Climate change has been fueling migration, and, according to some policy reports, there could more than one billion climate migrants/refugees across the world by 2050. In South Asia, disasters, environmental degradation, and climate change are increasing the number of migrants every year. In South Asia, like other parts of the world, migrants and displaced people mainly move within their respective countries, but some cross the porous border. At most places, the migrants and displaced people face hostile situation as they are not welcome by their local host population. The chapters in the book highlight the challenges and inadequacies of governments and communities in protecting the environment as well as the disproportionate effect that climate change has on the poor and marginalized groups. The book also discusses the gendered experiences of climate-related migrations and policy measures which need to be implemented to counter forced displacements and environment degradation along with the legal and institutional resources which could help mitigate climate change and protect climate refugees. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of development studies, ecology and environment, migration, sociology, law and governance, human ecology, climate change and economics.

This report presents the results of the implementation of the GBEP indicators to two key bioenergy pathways in Viet Nam: cassava-based ethanol and biogas at household, farm and industrial levels. The environmental, social and economic impacts of these two pathways are discussed, and recommendations are provided on how to improve their sustainability, efficiency and competitiveness. This work provided Viet Nam with an understanding of how to establish the means of a long-term, periodic monitoring of its domestic bioenergy sector based on the GBEP indicators. Such periodic monitoring would enhance the knowledge and understanding of this sector and more generally of the way in which the contribution of the agricultural and energy sectors to national sustainable development could be evaluated. The implementation of the GBEP indicators in Viet Nam also provided a series of lessons learnt about how to apply them as a tool for sustainable development and how to enhance their practicality.

This publication presents a snapshot of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) environmental strategies, programs, initiatives, partnerships, and a range of activities that demonstrate ADB's commitment to support environmentally sustainable growth in Asia and the Pacific---a strategic agenda of ADB's Strategy 2020. The report highlights innovations designed in selected ADB-supported projects with environmental sustainability as a theme that were approved in 2008–2010. It also discusses the emerging environmental challenges in the region, and previews ADB's strategies to strengthen its operational emphasis on the environment, including climate change, that would help realize green growth in Asia and the Pacific.

The question underlying the entirety of this publication is: "How can viable economic corridors be called into existence by dint of government and multilateral support?" The authors answer this question by examining the experience of economic corridor development of different regions from across continents. There are important lessons to be learned for successful corridor development from the experiences of the European Union and South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation regions. In each case, detailed models were constructed to assess the economic impact of corridor investments. What emerged from a consideration of these two cases (as well as broader discussions) was a framework for evidence-based policy analysis. When key policy makers and stakeholders pursue measurable outcomes for the development of regional economic corridors, the model and data framework (at a standard economic scale of relevance) allows for an investment-relevant development of scenarios, which will be monitored within an effective organizational process. Such a process, with all the elements of an evidence-based policy in place, is highly likely to generate successful economic corridor development, which would realize envisaged opportunities within the regions. Two priority regions in Asia, the Greater Mekong Subregion and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, face different opportunities.

Celebrating the people of the Mekong subregion, this remarkable atlas is more than just a series of maps; this book also includes remote sensing images and essential cultural information about one of the most ethnically and biologically diverse regions of the world. The subregion includes Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Yunnan Province in China.

Issues regarding land tenure in Indonesia; results and papers of a meeting.