USAID RDM/A Regional Environment Office Weekly Report Week Ending February 29, 2008

Mekong River Commission to Establish Framework for Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment
On February 27-27, 2008, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) convened an intergovernmental meeting in Vientiane, Lao PDR among Member Countries to share ideas on a draft framework for a Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (TEIA) process for development projects in the Mekong River Basin. Planned water resources management and infrastructure development projects, including hydropower development, pose potential transboundary impacts to livelihoods of downstream riparian communities. With assistance from USAID, senior decision-makers shared ideas on possible mechanisms and tools for engagement based on international best practices from other river basins. MRC Member Countries include Cambodia, Laos PDR, Thailand and Vietnam.

Mekong River Commission Identifies Transboundary Hotspots
At an intergovernmental meeting on February 26, 2008 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, Member Countries of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) agreed on seven transboundary “hotspots” with the potential to cause significant cross-border impacts related to hydropower, fisheries, river bank erosion, oil spills and wetlands.  Representatives from Cambodia, Laos PDR, Thailand and Vietnam also identified institutional mechanisms for addressing hotspots, and defined potential pilot projects for testing new mechanisms and strategies.   USAID assisted the MRC by facilitating discussion.

USAID’s Post-tsunami Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Project Ends on a High Note
The USAID-funded Post-tsunami Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Project successfully completed its final Regional Workshop on Post-tsunami Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods and Integrated Ecosystem Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Conference Center in Bangkok, Thailand on February 18-21, 2008. Over 50 participants representing the United Nations, government and non-government organizations, and universities from the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, India, Maldives, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States gathered together to share lessons learned and best practices in the post-disaster context, and to build a consensus on key unresolved issues. The project’s final goal was to create practical action items and solutions that can be used to strengthen community resilience and disaster preparedness in the future. The USAID Post-Tsunami Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Project has been a three-year, $4 million dollar partnership between AIT, the Coastal Resources Center, Coca-Cola, and the University of Hawaii, and will close in March 2008 after the successful attainment of project goals.