A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar Donor/Partner: International Finance Corporation (IFC)    |    Duration: 2016-2018   |    Location: Myanmar [...]

Income for Coastal Communities for Mangrove Protection Donor: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) | Duration: 2015-2016 | Location: Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam [...]

The ADB Capacity Development Technical Assistance project Promoting Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure in Northern Vietnam is demonstrating how green infrastructure and bioengineering solutions can strengthen rural [...]

Environmental Study of the Lancang-Mekong Development Plan (LMDP) Donor / Partner: Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)   |   Duration: 2016-2017  |  Location: Thailand, Lao PDR [...]

Many towns and cities in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) are facing increased vulnerability and exposure due to climate extremes combined with rapid and unplanned expansion of urban population and infrastructure. These towns are susceptible to flooding, drought, storms and other natural hazards, which are likely to become more frequent and more severe with climate change. This will negatively affect human settlements and economic activities in the region.

Held in Bangkok on 24-27 May 2016, the ‘SEA process, tools and lessons from the lower Mekong region energy sector’ workshop was organized by PACT Thailand as part of its Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Environment and Water Pillar Training Program (PTP). The workshop had two objectives:

Feasibility Study and Capacity Development for Strengthening Disaster Risk Management and Rural Resilience in Cambodia Donor / Partner:  World Bank (WB)  |   Duration: 2016-2017  |  Location: Cambodia [...]

Community-based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) and Farmer Water Users Community (FWUC) Support Donor / Partner: ADB    |    Duration: 2015-2017   |    Location: Cambodia About: [...]

ICEM developed this interactive map of soil types and biochar suitability as part of the ADB-funded Biochar Assessment and Soil Mapping Study. The map allows users [...]

Rapid economic development has seen Vietnam’s energy demand grow at a rate of 13-15% per annum over the last decade, leading to chronic and severe power shortages, and plans for extensive hydropower development. The Vu Gia – Thu Bon River Basin in central Vietnam will be one of the first areas to see increased hydropower development with 8 major and at least 34 minor hydro installations planned for completion over the next 10 years.

> View and download the report, Vietnam’s vanishing wildlife: the new threat of climate change  Climate change threatens species-rich habitats in protected lands in Vietnam. [...]

ICEM developed this land suitability for biochar application map for the Biochar Assessment and Soil Mapping Study. Download the high-resolution version. [...]

Much of ICEM's work on the Mekong ARCC project hinged on climate modelling and maps created by ICEM's GIS team. These maps covered temperature and [...]

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Regional Capacity Development TA 7394-REG was undertaken over 15 months from October 2010. The project focused on enhancing the capacity of five PDMCs’ – Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste – for adopting and implementing a national climate change adaptation strategy and associated action plans.

Bringing Nature Back The Mekong region faces some of the world's most damaging weather-related disasters. Storms, floods, and drought visit the region every year. Climate change stands to [...]

Strategic Mainstreaming of Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Vietnam Donor / Partner: GIZ    |    Duration: 2015-2016   |    Location: Viet Nam About: Vietnam is a biodiversity [...]

ICEM developed this comprehensive map of soil types in the Greater Mekong Subregion for the Biochar Assessment and Soil Mapping Study. Download the [...]

About: Urban areas are recognised internationally as a critical component for realising green growth. Cities concentrate environmental issues from air and water pollution, solid waste and GHG emissions, and frequently face challenges posed by poor drainage, sanitation and flood control. Moreover, providing urban services and infrastructure offers opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of provision while increasing resilience and addressing social and economic development needs.

These information posters were developed as part of the Bioengineering and Green Infrastructure Session delivered at the 2015 Mekong Forum on Water, Food, and Energy [...]

Lao PDR is among the least developed countries in the world and, according to IPPC findings, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Because of the region's high poverty rates and low development progress, livelihoods that are already affected by the impacts of existing climate variability become highly sensitive to climate change.

ICEM developed a number of maps for the project Strengthening Integrated Water and Flood Management Implementation in Thailand. The objective of the project was to improve water resources management through the design and implementation of improved decision making processes for integrated water resources, flood and drought management.

The Khone Falls fish pass study is the first of its kind in the Mekong region. For the most part, fish pass design has been based on studies conducted outside the Mekong region and with a focus on fish species not found in the Mekong River. The project aims to assess the swimming capabilities of migratory fish species in the Khone Falls to help design fish passes that are tailored to the needs and capabilities of Mekong fish species.

In 2014/2015, ICEM conducted a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) of the proposed Nam Ngiep Hydropower 1 Project (NNP1) in Lao PDR. The overall objective of the study was to assess the climate risk of the proposed Nam Ngiep 1 Hydropower Project (NNP1) in Lao PDR, and to identify measures to increase its climate resilience.

Natural systems are the essential foundation for Mekong town development and rehabilitation. The Resource Kit for Building Resilience and Sustainability in Mekong Towns is a seven-volume kit that promotes the maintenance and use of natural systems as a key strategy for building sustainability and resilience in urban areas. Prepared for the Asian Development Bank by ICEM as part of the award-winning TA 8186, the resource kit is built on the experience and expertise of a wide variety of professionals from the Mekong region and abroad.

This informational poster was developed as part of the Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative to give an overview of the project objectives, outputs, and monitoring. It was presented at the WLE Myanmar Project Launch in March 2015. > Visit the Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative project page for more information.

ICEM developed a series of maps for the World Bank's DELTA Tools for the Mekong Delta project. The project covered climate change and its potential impacts on infrastructure in the Mekong Delta. As such, ICEM's maps focused on flooding, salinity, and erosion as well as socio-economic topics such as population density and land use.

In 2012, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) contracted the consortium of ICEM–International Centre for Environment Management (ICEM) and Economic Consulting Associates (ECA) to undertake [...]

About: The Salween River lies at the cross roads of Asia linking South and Southeast Asia with Tibetan Plateau and providing a home and well-being to more than 13 distinct ethnic groups and 10 million people. As Myanmar develops, the relationship between the river’s stakeholders and the underlying biophysical system changes. New stakeholders are emerging with new values and needs and are placing new demands and pressures on the river and the health of the system. In this context, efforts to understand the health of river ecosystems and the values which different stakeholders ascribe to the goods and services derived from the river system will help set a benchmark of how development decisions at the national, provincial and local level will impact on different user groups.

ICEM conducted this strategic environmental assessment (SEA) with the MARD Directorate of Forestry and the World Bank within the framework of negotiations on a Public Investment Reform Development Policy Loan between the World Bank and the Government of Vietnam. The SEA offers a rapid assessment of three Provincial Forest Protection and Development Plans (FPDPs) and provides guidance for the development of the National Forestry Master Plan 2010–2020 and wider decision making in the forestry sector in Vietnam.

About: Action to tackle climate change in Cambodia is crucial. Cambodia will be a hotspot for climate change in the region. Average maximum daily temperatures in the wet season are projected to increase from between 1.7 to 5.3°C. Average dry season temperatures will also increase with a range of between 1.5 to 3.5°C. Trends in precipitation are also expected to change over the coming decades. Seasonal variability in rainfall patterns will grow, resulting in wetter wet seasons and drier dry seasons.

About: Biochar provides an innovative solution for GMS gender-responsive and climate-friendly agriculture. Biochar is the carbon rich product produced when biomass such as such as wood, manure or leaves, is heated with little or no available oxygen. It is added to soils to improve soil functions and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from biomass. Using biomass to produce biochar can release much less smoke that open burning by conventional practices that would otherwise naturally degrade to greenhouse gases.

About: The Nam Ngiep 1 Hydropower Project is a hydropower generation facility planned for a location in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) within the lower Nam Ngiep Catchment approximately 145 kilometres (km) northeast of Vientiane and approximately 50 km north of Pakxan. The Nam Ngiep is a tributary to the Mekong River, joining the Mekong immediately upstream of Pakxan. Primary components of the Project are a concrete gravity dam, storage reservoir, main power station and re-regulation power station, and power regulation and transmission facilities.

Protected Areas, Development, and Climate Change in the Greater Mekong Subregion Duration: 2014-2015   |    Location: GMS — Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, [...]

About: The Mekong Basin with its complex monsoon climate is highly exposed to climate change. Average annual temperatures are expected to increase by 3-5°C by mid-century with average wet season precipitation increasing by 3-14% (USAID, 2013). For the floodplain areas of Cambodia and Viet Nam, increases in wet precipitation will be coupled with increased peak daily precipitation events and drier dry seasons, compounding water availability issues by making wet seasons wetter and dry seasons drier (USAID, 2013).

> View and download the full Regional Knowledge Sharing Workshop final report with appendices > View and download the Regional Knowledge Sharing Workshop final report [...]

Optimizing the management of a cascade of reservoirs at the catchment level Donor / Partner: CGIAR   |    Duration: 2012-2013   |    Location: Vietnam, Lao [...]

Prepared by ICEM, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), and School of Environmental Science and Management (SchEM), the SESA presents a brief history of forest management in Nepal, forest types, and key environmental issues. It also outlines the reality of climate change vulnerability and impacts in Nepal, and highlights some of the important linkages, issues and potential trade-offs when considering strategic options to achieve REDD+.

Prepared by ICEM, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), and School of Environmental Science and Management (SchEM), the ESMF provides a framework for effective management of environmental and social issues in implementing the REDD+ Strategy. It seeks to both enhance the environmental and social development benefits of REDD+ actions and projects and mitigate any adverse impacts.

About: Nepalese people are highly dependent on forests and forest products to fulfill energy demands and for timber for construction and maintenance of houses and buildings. The main reasons for the conversion of forest areas are encroachment for resettlement/agriculture, and acquisition of forest area for infrastructure development including road expansion.

> View and download the Natural Systems and Climate Change Resilience in the Lower Mekong Basin report This report draws from the past decade of climate change [...]

> View and download the Workshop Report > View and download Workshop Report Appendices > Read more about the Workshop > Read more about the [...]

Strengthening Integrated Water and Flood Management Implementation Donor / Partner: Asian Development Bank | Duration: 2013-2015 | Location: Bankok, Thailand   During the last [...]

> View and download the Potential Benefits of Sharing Water from Hydropower Reservoir: Case Study from the Central Highlands, Vietnam > View and download the [...]

> View and download the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Guidelines for Smallscale Hydropower in Lao PDR Technical Paper > View more about the Mekong [...]

> View and download the Building Blocks for Renewable Energy Development: Learning and Transferring Lessons from Thailand Working Paper > View more about the Mekong [...]

> View and download the Potential for Increasing the Role of Renewables in Mekong Power Supply (MK14): Synthesis Report > View more about the Mekong [...]

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) make a significant contribution to national and local economies and may make up over 30% of the income of individual farming families. They are essential for food security, medical remedies, fiber and furniture, and provide resins and essential oils - the raw materials for pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and other chemicals. Pressures upon land and natural resources have meant that the remaining sources for these natural products are protected areas. There is a strong financial incentive for sustainable management of this resource.

This Social and Economic Assessment complements the other sectoral reports in the USAID Mekong ARCC Climate Change Impact and Adaptation Study by assessing the vulnerability to climate change of two critical sectors of household livelihood systems: health and rural infrastructure. Human health is critical to livelihoods because it is the foundation of productivity in all activities. Inadequate health access limits the capacity of individuals to farm, fish, gather NTFPs, or attend to livestock. Moreover, adequate health ensures the nutritional benefits of food consumption are realized and is an important, but often forgotten, component of food security. The inability of one working member of a household to work due to poor health reduces household income and therefore impacts on the income and food security of all members of a household and potentially the broader community.

This protected areas report provides an outline of protected areas (PAs) and biodiversity in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB), and an overview of threats to PAs other than climate change, including land concessions, infrastructure development, illegal activities, and agriculture. The threats posed by climate change to PAs are then reviewed, followed by a series of case studies of climate change impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation options in four protected areas: 1) Nong Bong Kai Non Hunting Area – Thailand; 2) Nakai Nam Theun - Lao PDR; 3) Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary - Cambodia; and 4) U Minh Thuong National Park – Vietnam.

> View and download the Review of CARE's Community Based Mangrove Reforestation and Management Project Throughout Vietnam and the wider region, mangrove forests have been [...]