View from Lotte Observation Deck in Hanoi. Photo by ADB.
International tourism is bouncing back rapidly in the Greater Mekong Subregion, with 2022 and early 2023 international tourism numbers exhibiting strong and steady recovery. Furthermore, domestic tourism has grown steadily in many GMS countries in 2022, and continues to be a tourism sector priority.
The High-Value Horticulture Development Project in Viet Nam scales up and transfers a successful high-value horticulture business model built on the introduction of climate-controlled greenhouse technology in tropical highlands in Asia. The business model will be replicated for vegetable production. Photo by ADB.
The 20th Annual Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group on Agriculture (WGA) was held on 10–12 May 2023 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The meeting underscored the need to enhance (i) subregional cooperation on green and climate resilient agri-food value chains, and (ii) green financing of small and medium agribusinesses. The meeting also confirmed four priority action points by the WGA, and discussed the planned new agriculture sector strategy.
Engineer R. Akkachat Chatthong checks the condition of the solar panel surface. Photo from the "Thailand: Provincial Solar Power Project" by ADB.
Greater Mekong Subregion countries will meet on 13-14 June 2023, Manila, Philippines, for the first GMS Energy Transition Task Force Meeting (ETTF).
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Secretariat, in cooperation with the Office of Public Private Partnership (OPPP) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), organized a training on public private partnerships on 31 May 2023 under ADB's PPP Academy initiative.
Photo via Vientiane Times
Lao People’s Democratic Republic Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone urged for intensive action to bolster the country’s digital pillars. Developing the country’s digital economy, digital government, and digital community will help bolster Lao PDR’s socio-economic development.
The Da Nang People’s Committee approved a project to develop the city’s logistics services and become a logistics center by 2030 for the central key economic region (KER) and the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC). The city also aims to become the key gateway to the EWEC and an important transport corridor link in Asia-Pacific by 2050.
The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR) plans to build a green food processing and manufacturing base for the ASEAN, said Mr. Xu Liqing, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Information Technology of GZAR. He spoke at the Guangxi Food Processing Industry Chain Investment Promotion Conference held in Nanning, Guangxi, PRC.
Thailand’s unemployment rate dropped to 1.05%, its lowest in three years, as the country’s tourism industry rebounds.
Photo via Vientiane Times
Construction work on the 5th Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge has surpassed 72% completion, and is expected to be completely finished by the end of 2024. The bridge will connect Paksan, Bolikhamsai Province (Lao PDR) to Bueng Kan Province (Thailand) across the Mekong River. The bridge is set to further boost connectivity in the GMS.
A new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report highlights the discovery of 380 new species of flora and fauna in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). The study, conducted in 2021-2022 by an international team comprising scientists and researchers in the subregion, has classified a discovery of 290 plants, 19 fishes, 24 amphibians, 46 reptiles, and 1 mammal.
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226