Greater Mekong Subregion

Green Development Key to Growth in Mekong Region

The management of food, water, and energy resources in the Greater Mekong Subregion will be the most critical challenge of the coming decade, requiring careful balance of economic and environmental interests. Read More

Holidays that Help the Poor

Tourism can be a powerful tool for poverty reduction. In the Greater Mekong Subregion, investments in tourism infrastructure have generated more livelihood opportunities for the poor. Read More

Biofuels in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Biofuels could help support the agriculture sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and provide an alternative energy source. ADB published a paper that looks into the key issues in deploying biofuels in the GMS. Read More

Greater Mekong Subregion Addresses Emerging Challenges to Agriculture

The second phase of the Core Agriculture Support Program for the Greater Mekong Subregion addresses emerging challenges to agricultural development, specifically those linked to expanding cross-border trade in agri-food products and climate change adaptation. Read More

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is a natural economic area bound together by the Mekong River, covering 2.6 million square kilometers and a combined population of around 326 million.

The GMS countries are Cambodia, the People's Republic of China (PRC, specifically Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

In 1992, with assistance from ADB, the six countries entered into a program of subregional economic cooperation, designed to enhance economic relations among the countries.