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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