Donor / Partner: Asian Development Bank (ADB)   |    Duration: 2008-2009   |    Location: Lao PDR   
About: The Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) is rich in natural resources and experiencing rapid economic development. However,  there is concern that increasing development activities in the economic corridors may adversely affect critical ecosystems and high value biodiversity areas, resulting in fragmentation of natural landscapes.This project enhanced the environmental sustainability and social equity of the GMS economic cooperation program by providing technical, operational, and financial support to upgrade the environmental management capability in the GMS.

The ICEM project team conducted a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the GMS North South Economic Corridor (NSEC), focusing on the Golden Quadrangle Area and the transport sector. The team also developed targeted technical training materials to build capacity on spatial and integrated planning tools for transport, trade and tourism sector professionals.