Thematic and Sectoral Support

Environment

Regional coordination is important to mitigate, if not totally eradicate, environment issues that cut across regional boundaries. These are issues that affect life-support systems, i.e., the ecological processes that shape climate, cleanse the air and water, regulate water flow, recycle essential elements, and keep the planet fit for life. In particular, these concern human activities that result in

greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere, intensifying its heat-trapping properties and leading to climate change
coastal ecosystems rapidly deteriorating in many areas due to intense and mounting human pressure, including poorly controlled urban, industrial, commercial, tourist, agricultural development, and uncontrolled waste disposal
accelerating the loss of habitat and species and changing the conditions for evolution

In response, ADB supports projects and programs for its developing member countries (DMCs). It also directly supports regional activities to protect, rehabilitate, and enhance the environment and the quality of life. More specifically, ADB has provided DMCs in the Pacific region a wide range of assistance to improve their environmental management capacity and performance at the local, sectoral, national, and regional levels, and is now undertaking a study for the Formulation of a Pacific Regional Environmental Strategy: 2005-2009.

It has also served as a regional coordinator of global activity such as Asia Least-Cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy Project (ALGAS). It was designed to assist countries to meet their commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The ALGAS project helped the 11 participating countries prepare a portfolio of greenhouse gas abatement projects and national plans embodying country development objectives. The countries in the project were Bangladesh, People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Other Activities

2005

Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management (CACILM)

Establishing CACILM as a partnership among countries and funding agencies to support the development and implementation of NPFs for more comprehensive and integrated approaches to sustainable land management in the region.

Regional Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network

Supporting effective implementation of environmental laws leading to improved environment and health conditions for the poor by:

strengthening institutional and practitioner capacity
improving citizen participation in environmental compliance and enforcement
capturing and sharing innovative solutions and best environmental compliance and enforcement models in the region

2004

GMS Tourism Sector Strategy

Assisting the GMS countries to prepare a 10-year subregional strategy and a 5-year action plan for a sustainable tourism sector, and to provide a framework for the development and implementation of the GMS tourism flagship program

Greater Mekong Subregion Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (December 2004)
Preparing a GMS BCC development strategic framework (2005-2014) and action plan (2005-2008). The strategic framework will

identify and prioritize terrestrial BCC of strategic importance from a biodiversity conservation as well as development perspective
review and analyze conservation and economic development policies that need to be rationalized and harmonized among GMS countries for effective and sustainable functioning of BCC
identify an enabling governance and management arrangement for implementation of the 2005-2008 BCC action plan.

Strengthening Capacity and Regional Cooperation in Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology in the Greater Mekong Subregion (December 2004)
Strengthening capacity and regional cooperation for the safe use of advanced agricultural science and technology and for the related food safety in GMS countries, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural growth in the region

Capacity Building for Promoting Sustainable Development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (November 2004)
Building capacity of GMS countries to integrate social, economic, and environmental objectives into existing planning mechanisms for sustainable development on both national and subregional levels.

2003

Integrating Environmental Considerations into Development Policies, Plans and Programs

Helping the governments

develop and disseminate an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the national environmental management regimes among the wide range of policy makers and development planners, with clear contextual linkages to the national economic development goals
identify priority areas in policy, institutional, and legislative mechanisms, and programs/projects that will improve synergy between environmental/natural resources management and national economic development planning, including planned and potential support from ADB.

Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities

Promoting the development of a regional air quality management community through the sharing of knowledge and best practices on air quality management, improvement of policy and regulatory frameworks at the regional level, formulation of integrated air quality management strategies, and implementation of pilot projects.

2002

Formulation of the Pacific Region Environmental Strategy

Developing a strong and well-articulated regional environmental strategy that will review major environmental challenges in the region and clearly formulate the strategic objectives and activities for ADB's assistance for 2004-2008.

2001

Ten Years After Rio: Promoting Subregional Cooperation for Sustainable Development Project

Helping countries in Southeast Asia and Central Asia subregions

establish subregional strategies, and develop an integrated and participatory action plan that will be implemented in the medium and long term
strengthen subregional cooperation in addressing common problems and poverty alleviation.

Sixth Agriculture and Natural Resources Research at CGIAR Centers

Developing environmentally sustainable farming systems, policies, improved crop varieties, and appropriate crop-livestock technologies that will increase agricultural productivity and farm incomes, and protect the environment.

2000

Regional Environmental Action Plan (REAP) in Central Asia

Strengthening regional cooperation among the Central Asian Republics in the area of improved environmental management, by supporting the process of and the mechanism for REAP development and implementation.

Action Plans for Reducing Vehicle Emissions

Helping Developing Member Countries promote sustainable growth and people's health and well-being by controlling and reducing vehicle emissions.

Combating Desertification in Asia

Assisting DMCs that are Party to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertificationto refine, adopt and implement national action programs to combat desertification in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid regions.

Capacity Building to Promote Traditional Environmental Management in the Pacific Developing Member Countries (PDMCs)

Helping the PDMCs to sustainably use their natural resources by promoting the use of traditional environmental management practices, knowledge, and values.