Regional Resource Centre for the Asia and the Pacific

Projects

Subregional Environmental Monitoring and Information Systems

1994- 2004

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Phrase I

At the Third Conference on Sub-regional Economic Co-operation held in Hanoi, April 20-23, 1994, the Ministerial Meeting endorsed three technical assistance projects for financing by the Asian Development Bank. In September 1994, the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, PR China) reached an understanding with the Bank on the scope, estimated costs, and implementation arrangements for the first of these TA's, the Sub-regional Environmental Monitoring and Information System - SEMIS. The project (TA No. 5622-REG) was jointly funded by the Bank and UNEP, and would closely collaborate with the Mekong River Commission.

The overall objectives of the TA were stated in the original TA document as follows:

The goal of the project is to allow resource allocation and environmental management decision affecting the Greater Mekong sub-regional to be based on up-to-date and accurate information. The overall objective of the TA is to provide the mechanisms that will allow sharing of information on environmental and natural resources issues in a timely manner.

The project was started in August 1995 and completed in April 1998.

Phrase II

Sub-regional Environmental Monitoring and Information System-II (SEMIS-II) is a Technical Assistance (TA) program being implemented by The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, Environment Assessment Programme for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP/RRC.AP). The project is co-financed by ADB (through the Japan special fund and the government of Norway) and UNEP/RRC.AP

The overall goal of the project is to help GMS governments to make informed decisions regarding sustainable development through integrated economic and environmental planning. SEMIS-I provided mechanisms for sharing of information on environmental and natural resources issues. SEMIS-II will build on this mechanism to undertake pilot demonstration projects using data and information for integrated economic and environmental planning. The key objectives of SEMIS-II include:

1) Increase the capacity of national governments to make informed decisions regarding development investments relating to sustainable utilization of natural resources;

2) Enhance the ability of GMS national governments to conduct integrated economic and environmental planning with relevant data;

3) Assess the availability of useful and relevant data for planning purposes;

4) Increase and strengthen the capacity of national governments to collect data; and

5) Conduct, store, manipulate, and share actual integrated planning information using the data collected in pilot projects for some "hot spot" areas, such as those identified in TA 5783--REG: Strategic Environmental Framework for the GMS.

The duration of the project is 24 months starting August 2000.

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