Environmental Analysis of the GMS Regional Investment Framework (2012–2013)

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Planning Sustainable Investments in the Greater Mekong Subregion

From early 2012, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) begun preparing a Regional Investment Framework (RIF) to operationalize the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Strategic Framework 2012–2022.

With an initial portfolio of 130 investments, totaling more than US$50 billion, the RIF is expected to contribute significantly to economic growth and poverty reduction in the subregion. In late-2012, the Core Environment Program (CEP) was requested to assess the environmental, climatic and social risks of the RIF portfolio, focusing on GMS economic corridors and landscapes. 

To achieve this, CEP conducted a Multicriteria Assessment and Spatial Multicriteria Assessment of the RIF in mid-2013. The results were translated into scores and maps for investment selection, geographic prioritization, and mitigation planning. The outputs were designed to provide RIF stakeholders and decision makers with information to:

• Assess and compare the risks of individual investments
• Assess and compare the suitability of geographic locations

The results of the analysis not only provided useful inputs to GMS decision makers, but also demonstrated the value of Spatial Multicriteria Assessment as a planning tool.  Read the full report below or the 8-page summary brief produced for the GMS 19th Ministerial Conference.