Greater Mekong Subregion

Protection and Management of Critical Wetlands in the Lower Mekong Basin (TA No. 5822)

Overview

The TA was designed to promote integrated resource management of critical wetlands of regional significance, the Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Siphandon in Lao PDR.

The Tonle Sap, which provides significant benefits in the form of fisheries production and bio-diversity conservation, has been severely degraded due to overpopulation, agricultural encroachment, forest fires, and harvesting for fuel and construction.

Meanwhile, Siphandon, whose channels serve as passageway for migratory fishes, and acts as critical habitat for many fish species, waterfowl, and other wetland flora and fauna, is also in danger of severe depletion if environmental safeguards are not put in place.

Objectives and Scope

The TA was designed to develop sustainable management systems for renewable resources (trees, fish, waterfowl, etc.) and agricultural production systems in the aforementioned wetlands. It aimed to improve the understanding of the relationships between hydrology, wetland biodiversity, and productivity.

The TA was intended to prepare detailed investment proposals to develop and support community-based integrated management systems for fishery, forestry, and agricultural resources of the inundation zone of the two wetlands.

Preparatory work included a review of the results of relevant projects and studies, and conduct of additional studies and pilot tests. The institutional and policy setting was to be analyzed in each area, and appropriate institutional strengthening program was to be prepared for the Executing Agencies (EAs) under the proposed projects.

Additionally, a joint ADB/ UNDP proposal for a $350,000 Global Environment Fund (GEF) grant for project preparation focused on biodiversity conservation in the Tonle Sap and has been accepted into the GEF pipeline and recommended for approval.

The scope of the TA was later revised to constitute two components, formulation of the Program Loan, and Development of the Investment Loan Component. These were meant to ensure long term beneficial uses of wetlands, improve welfare of riparian communities, and increase government capabilities for resource management.

• Program Loan
• Investment Loan Component

Program Loan

The program loan was designed to assist the government in formulating an interrelated and supporting policy and legal framework structure to arrest unsustainable resource exploitation. The focus is on reform in environmental and fisheries legislation.

Investment Loan Component

The investment loan component was to support capacity building, livelihood improvement and infrastructure needed for sustainable resource use and enhanced livelihood for poor communities. The investment loan component included the following activities

1. Inventory of wetlands, and design/ conduct of enforcement program;
2. Set up of water inventory and monitoring system;
3. Improvement of land use planning, tenure and zoning;
4. Pilot demonstration of sound community based natural resource management;
5. Alternative livelihoods development and improvement; and
6. Rehabilitation and extension of multi-purpose harbors.

Project Cost and Financing ($ million)

Status

Project completed. Read the project completion report.

For detailed information on the project, write to the GMS Unit (ADB) at the following e mail address:

gms@adb.org