The Working Group on Environment (WGE) provides overall leadership and direction for the Core Environment Program in the Greater Mekong Subregion. WGE also plays an important role in facilitating cross-sector environmental collaboration within the six countries in the subregion.
The working group members are nominated senior government officials from the environment ministries of each country.
The GMS Environment Operations Center (EOC) in Bangkok, Thailand coordinates program implementation and provides secretariat support to the working group.
The rich natural environment of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has led to significant development to the economy and livelihoods, but the GMS countries, especially the Lower Mekong countries, are highly vulnerable to climate change and disasters.
The Greater Mekong Subregion has been undergoing diverse and rapid agricultural transformation over the last decades and contributing majorly to the global food supply.
The transportation sector in the GMS is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, which contribute to climate change and negatively impact human health and the local and global environment.
Rural communities in the GMS (comprising 67 percent of the GMS population) are on the frontline of climate change and most vulnerable to losses and damages, and many lack the resources and capacity to deal with them.
The GMS Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program (CCESP) is hosting a consultation workshop in Cambodia and online to promote and generate support for the demonstration activities under the CCESP.
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 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 Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group on Environment will present post-COVID-19 environment-friendly and climate-resilient response and recovery efforts in GMS countries on 23 June at 1:30-5:00 p.m. (GMT+7) via Microsoft Teams. Priorities for COVID-19 recovery support by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in themes such as climate action, biodiversity and wildlife management, and sustainable waste management will be discussed.
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.
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
