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Increasing Investments in Natural Capital in the Greater Mekong Subregion

The Natural Capital Dialogue brought together senior GMS government officials, international experts and a wide range of stakeholders to discuss the significance of natural capital in the context of inclusive and sustainable development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Occurring ahead of the 4^th GMS Environment Ministers’ Meeting (EMM4), the Natural Capital Dialogue presented an important opportunity to draw public and business sector attention to the need to increase investments in the Subregion’s natural capital.

Theme: Investing in Natural Capital is Investing in Youth

Overview

As emphasized in the Future We Want outcome document from Rio+20, youth are “custodians of the future” and have an essential role in helping achieve sustainable development. If engaged and empowered, GMS youth have the potential to drive the changes needed to ensure a sustainable future for their own and future generations. 

Every three years, environment ministers from the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries gather to take stock of environment challenges and opportunities, and set the direction for regional responses under the GMS Economic Cooperation Program.

Theme: Designing mechanisms and building partnerships for the strategic planning and management of transboundary and other biodiversity landscapes

Overview

Biodiversity landscapes constitute a large proportion of the natural capital remaining in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). They are a rich repository of globally important biodiversity, including many endemic and endangered species, and provide vital ecosystem services. This wealth of natural capital underpins the subregion’s security in terms of energy, food, and water. Seven of these landscapes cut across international borders. These transboundary biodiversity landscapes (TBLs), which are the focus of the GMS Core Environment Program, lie in juxtaposition to the GMS economic corridors, providing both challenges and opportunities for their effective management and conservation.

Theme: Investing in Natural Capital: Public Private Cooperation for Future Prosperity in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Overview

The Fourth GMS Environment Ministers’ Meeting emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration between governments, development partners, business sector, and civil society in order to find ways to maintain and enhance the region’s natural capital stocks. A key step was the need to strengthen collaboration and coordination between businesses, government, and/or civil society in ways that are demonstrably good for business, local livelihoods and for the protection and enhancement of the subregion’s natural capital. In this context the Natural Capital Business Forum engaged the businesses in their capacity as a beneficiary of public sector investments as well as the investors in economic activities associated with natural capital.

4^th GMS Environment Ministers’ Meeting

27–29 January 2015, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar

Media Advisory

Every three years environment leaders from the six Greater Mekong Subregion countries gather to assess the subregion’s environment challenges and opportunities, and set the direction for regional responses. The 4^th GMS Environment Ministers Meeting (EMM4) will bring together over 200 leading policy and decision makers from government and non-government over 3-days under the theme “Increasing Investments in Natural Capital in the GMS.” Further information, including agendas and speaker bios: www.gms-eoc.org

In continuation of CEP support to strengthen Myanmar’s environmental safeguards system, a stakeholder consultation workshop was held in Yangon to seek feedback on the country's Draft Environmental Quality (Emission) Guidelines. The guidelines will support the country's emerging environmental impact assessment (EIA) system by specifying the environmental thresholds that must projects should not exceed.The guidelines will be finalized based on feedback from the workshop and are expected to come into effect during the next few months. The guidelines will be used as interim measure while the country develops National Environmental Quality Standards during the next few years.