
Policy Dialogue on Waste Management towards Circular Economy
According to United Nations, Asia is responsible for more than 80 percent of plastic leakages into marine environments, with a large share originating from the GMS.
According to United Nations, Asia is responsible for more than 80 percent of plastic leakages into marine environments, with a large share originating from the GMS.
The GMS is undergoing a rapid economic growth and industrial development that resulted in a significant increase of air, water and soil pollution, and related risks like declining human health, disruptions in food chains, and inadequate quality of drinking water.
The GMS Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program (CCESP) Inception Workshop was held online on 23–24 September 2021, which gathered more than 100 participants from the different GMS countries. The workshop was co-hosted and co-chaired by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The event formally marks the start of the implementation of ADB's TA 9915 or the GMS CCESP.
The Asian Development Bank is convening its first Healthy Oceans Tech and Finance Forum on 26-28 January 2022 that will cover 4 thematic tracks: (1) Plastic-free Oceans, (2) Coastal Resilience, (3) Ocean Finance, and (4) Blue Foods.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has allocated $300 million to support the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) efforts to help Southeast Asia shape a climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable economic recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its partners will collectively zero in on strategies and policy responses that countries can adopt to lay the groundwork for post-COVID-19 recovery at the upcoming Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) Innovation through Collaboration: Planning for Inclusive Post-COVID-19 Recovery.
The 24th GMS Ministerial Conference (MC-24) was held on 4 November 2020 with the theme “Pave the way to a more integrated, inclusive, sustainable and prosperous GMS.”
The 6th ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting held virtually on 2 October acknowledged ADB’s efforts in operationalizing the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) as a platform for ASEAN green infrastructure under the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
The Governments of Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, and the United States of America (US), launched the Mekong-US Partnership and held its first Ministerial Meeting on 11 September 2020. The partnership builds on the US-Mekong cooperation developed through the Lower Mekong Initiative.
The 10th Mekong-Republic of Korea (RoK) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held on 28 September online, with the participation of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the RoK. The meeting highlighted achievements in cooperation on infrastructure, information technology, education, agriculture, environmental protection, and water resources management, and adopted the action plan for 2021-2025.