The United Nations Environment Programme warns that 11 million metric tons of plastics are dumped into the oceans annually and without urgent action, this amount could triple in the next 20 years.

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program (CCESP) seeks to support the six countries of the GMS in realizing economic development that is environmentally sound and climate resilient.

Farmers are managing seasonal floods and droughts better, thanks to a modern irrigation system, flood-proof road, and disaster risk control measures.

This is the inaugural newsletter issue for the GMS Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program. It features the Inception Workshop and the key findings from the draft Inception Report as it awaits final approval from ADB. The newsletter also focuses on the recent UN conferences on biodiversity (COP15) and climate change (COP26), and how these relate to the CCESP and the GMS countries' respective goals.

An additional $2 million grant funding from the Climate Investment Fund–Technical Assistance Facility (CIF–TAF) was approved on 17 October 2021 by ADB. This grant will support green and resilient COVID-19 recovery in the GMS, covering Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam, through the CCESP TA. With this funding, the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program (CCESP) will provide policy support, build institutional and technical capacities, and demonstrate innovative options to build back cleaner, greener, and more climate-resilient economies.

The Viet Nam Industry 4.0 Summit 2021 highlighted the creation of a sustainable socioeconomic recovery and growth in Viet Nam in the post-COVID-19 era, and promoted industrialization and modernization in the digital age.  

Mr. Andrew Jeffries, Country Director for ADB Viet Nam Resident Mission, joined the plenary discussion on post-pandemic economic recovery and digital transformation as a new vehicle for green recovery on 5 December 2021.  

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.

This publication identifies investment approaches, opportunities, and finance mechanisms in Southeast Asia that can promote and catalyze funds for a sustainable ocean economy.