27/05/2005 WWF commends
environment ministers from the six countries
in the Greater Mekong subregion Cambodia,
China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam
for committing to ensure that economic development
in the area is environmentally sound and sustainable.
The ministers made their commitment in a joint
statement issued at the end of an inaugural
meeting held here, with support from the Asian
Development Bank (ADB). WWF was one of several
representatives of civil organizations invited
to the meeting to share their perspectives.
The environment ministers can help ensure
a development agenda that also secures conservation
and the sustainable use of the Mekong's rich
biodiversity for the long-term benefit of
both people and nature, said Kim Carstensen,
WWF Denmark's Secretary-General, who attended
the meeting.
The meeting provided the ministers with the
opportunity to underline the vital importance
of conserving and maintaining high-quality
ecosystems, such as forests and rivers, in
the light of increasing and intensified economic
development in the Mekong.
The ministers' commitment is timely as their
leaders prepare to advance discussions on
regional economic cooperation. The leaders
will be holding their second summit meeting
in July in Kunming, China, which will focus
on infrastructure development and associated
trade, investment, and production opportunities.
Infrastructure is being planned along "economic
corridors", which will link major ports
and cities with each other as well as with
other less developed areas. The opening up
of some of these areas, through the building
of roads and dams and accompanying infrastructure,
will threaten the Mekong's rich natural heritage
and rural livelihoods if adequate measures
are not taken to prevent or mitigate associated
negative and cumulative impacts.
The environment ministers have agreed on
a joint programme to help shape and guide
sustainable development, particularly in areas
of concentrated economic activity and in key
investment sectors, including energy, transport,
and tourism.
The environment programme calls on the six
countries to investigate and address the social
and environmental impacts of economic development
in the Mekong. It also proposes valuation
of environmental goods and services to help
demonstrate the economic value of maintaining
high quality ecosystems.
One concrete step already agreed is maintaining
biological corridors linking important parks
and reserves, which are home to several endangered
species such as tigers and Asian elephants.
WWF recognizes that while economic corridors
are necessary for development in the region,
having biological corridors will help ensure
nature is not forgotten and that it can continue
to provide essential ecological services such
as supplying drinking water and regulating
climate.
"Poverty alleviation and biodiversity
conservation have to go hand in hand. When
rivers run dry or forests are destroyed, it
is the poor who suffer most," said Mr.
Carstensen.
"The Greater Mekong subregion environment
programme is a step in the right direction
in ensuring that development in the Mekong
is not at the expense of its people and nature."
WWF is encouraging the environment ministers
to underline the importance of using innovative
approaches and greater public participation
in finding solutions to economic development
that balances social and environmental considerations.
The global conservation organization hopes
that political and funding commitment is forthcoming
for implementing the biological corridors
and additional preventive measures to mitigate
negative impacts of infrastructure development,
and calls on the international community to
support the initiatives.
Notes:
1. With offices and activities in Cambodia,
China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, WWF has
a long-term commitment in ensuring sustainable
development in the Greater Mekong Subregion
(GMS) for the benefit of both people and nature.
2. The Joint Ministerial Statement of the
six GMS environment ministers is available
on the website of the Asian Development Bank
(ADB).
3. The first GMS Summit of leaders was held
in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 2002.
