1. Greening Regional Economic Cooperation in Support of Biodiversity Conservation Outcomes Future Directions for the GMS Mme Keobang A Keola, WREA, Lao PDR

2. Green growth and regional economic cooperation GMS countries and ADB are working together to support Biodiversity through Green Growth strategies to: Eliminate or mitigate possible negative environmental impacts, improve investment performance, and achieve sustainable development outcomes under climate change scenarios Target sectors: transportation, energy, tourism, and agriculture & natural resources. TOURISM TRANSPORTAGRICULTURE

3. Approaches to greening growth 1.Strategic economic analysis of projected infrastructure needs Identification of demand-driven alternatives Cost benefit analysis of projected investments/biod. friendly alternatives Pilot tested approaches Improved data baselines and monitoring approaches for decision makers Increased environmental safeguards capacity

4. GMS Biodiversity Conservation Milestones Established the concept of biodiversity conservation corridors in the region Pilot tested biodiversity sustainable finance and livelihoods approaches Established concept of and need for transboundary biodiversity conservation Engaged energy, tourism sectors in SEAs

5. GMS Biodiversity Conservation Milestones Established decision support modeling approaches Scaled up pilot biodiversity corridors $69 million in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam Established protocols for supporting other sectors Established monitoring and decision support protocols through EPA

6. CEP-BCI emerging role in the GMS 1.Regional coordination of conservation approaches to support the transport, energy, tourism, and A&NR sectors 2.Leading edge institution –Establishing new tools/approaches to biodiversity friendly economic development –Build national support unit capacity –Disseminate successes and BPs to Asia/Pacific and global communities 3.Establish a regional database of development planning and biodiversity conservation data

7. The way forward Regular Assessment of conditions and trends –Improving knowledge of existing biodiversity –Modeling impacts of development, climate change Recognizing the value of biodiversity and ecosystems –Valuing stocks and flows –Improved decision support modeling

8. The way forward Improve spatial planning and zoning Improving protected area management and enforcement Establishing climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in support of conservation outcomes

9. The way forward Coordinated sustainable finance approaches for biodiversity conservation Investments of biodiversity conservation organizations Ecosystem services (REDD+, PES) Biodiversity friendly private sector business investments (tourism, bamboo, forestry BPs, etc) Private sector financing for conservation e.g. CSR, offsets Supporting rural investments in education, health care

10. The way forward Strengthening transboundary approaches –clear scientific basis understandable to policy makers, linkages to national policies, inter regional dialogue Developing international institutional support mechanisms for joint management –International protocols, data sharing, communication mechanisms etc. –Enforcement mechanisms for protocols

11. Operationalizing the Way Forward CEP-BCI is a nationally owned regional platform for achieving biodiversity conservation outcomes through sustainable development Achieves conservation landscape outcomes by strengthening linkages coordinating approaches with line agencies and the ADB in the transportation, energy, tourism and agricultural and natural resources sectors. CEP – BCI will be used to harness and coordinate support from conservation groups, international funding agencies, private foundations and corporations

12. Time to act GMS is Top-5 Global Biodiversity Hotspots High economic growth levels represent both pressures and opportunities Effective, creative, practical solutions under development by the countries themselves CEP-BCI is signature sub-regional model within ADB – replication to other sub-regions (HoB and CTI) expected Makes GMS regionally and globally significant learning laboratory