The members of the Working Group on Environment (WGE) from the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), namely, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, met in Kunming, PRC on 1 April 2019 for the 24^th  Annual Meeting of the WGE (WGE 24) and attended the Consultation Workshop on Proposed GMS Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program (CCESP) from 1 to 2 April 2019.

Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development introduced a WebGIS (geographic information systems) map to monitor the Mekong Delta’s river banks and coastline in June 2018. The WebGIS map has currently received updated data from 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta. 

The tool aims to help provide information about landslides, including length, depth, influences on the environment, and impact on residents. It can help deliver warnings and disseminate information in advance. It uses map-based data, and can include pictures and videos.  

High upfront costs and lack of incentives impede fuel efficiency initiatives in road freight in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

In a blog post, Mr. Arjun Goswami of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) emphasizes the importance of regional cooperation to more effectively address the transnational threat and mutual risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mr. Steven Beck of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) wrote in a blog post that “the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need to support trade to not only move medical supplies but also to bolster economies.” His post asked (i) how we can maintain trade flows at a time when everyone’s attention seems to be focused on tightening borders, and (ii) how we can keep goods moving when the financial systems that companies rely on are under stress. 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will make available $200 million through its Supply Chain Finance Program for companies manufacturing and distributing medicines and other items needed to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) report “Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Developing Asia” outlines how the COVID-19 outbreak will affect economic activity in developing Asian economies

The Third Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group on Urban Development was held on 5-6 December 2019 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Plans are underway to connect Yangon in Myanmar with the Bago Region and Mon State through new expressways along the Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) East-West Economic Corridor. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide financing assistance to build more efficient highways that will promote safer movement of goods and people. 

The 26th Regional Power Trade Coordination Committee Meeting was held to further cooperation and enhance power trade among members of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) on 26-27 November in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. Hosted by Viet Nam's Electricity Regulatory Authority, participants included energy officials from GMS member countries and representatives of ADB and development partners.