Good governance is central to improving the effective delivery of urban environmental services, management of natural resources and protection of vital ecosystems in Asia. Strengthening the governance systems and capacity of national and local governments is a critical strategy for improving environmental conditions, and promoting overall transparency, accountability and respect for the rule of law in the region.
Environmental Compliance and Enforcement
While many Asian governments have developed new environmental legal frameworks to respond to environmental challenges, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws has remained weak due to technical, financial and human resource limitations. With support from ECO-Asia and ADB, in 2005 Asian leaders established the Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN) 
, a regional practitioner network which promotes improved compliance with environmental legal requirements through regional exchange of innovative policies and practices.
Serving as the current AECEN Secretariat, ECO-Asia works with AECEN member countries to assess country compliance and enforcement programs and implement pilot activities that demonstrate innovation. Developed in partnership with local stakeholders, pilot activities incorporate ECO-Asia small grants, technical assistance and counterpart exchange to promote adoption of new environmental policies, practices and systems, and link to capacity strengthening efforts and performance indicators. ECO-Asia also supports the AECEN annual forum, as well as regional training and toolkits.
Request for Proposals:
Promoting Transboundary Cooperation in the Mekong River Basin
Over 48 million people in the Lower Mekong River Basin depend on the river for their day-to-day livelihoods. As the sub-region develops and countries move from subsistence farming to diversified, market-based economies, cross-border trade and infrastructure development is on the rise. Over the last decade, countries in the watershed have been constructing dams, irrigation systems and navigation waterways that lead to adverse downstream impacts, and potential transboundary conflict. ECO-Asia works with Mekong River basin partners to reduce the potential for transboundary conflict by improving regional cooperation through new and existing transboundary institutions and initiatives. ECO-Asia provides targeted technical assistance and training to Mekong countries to introduce improved methods for consensus building, participatory planning and development and conflict management.
Formed in 1995 by an agreement between the governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietam, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) is an international river basin organization that promotes sustainable development of water and related resources in the Mekong Basin through regional cooperation. Through a cooperative program with MRC, beginning in 2006 ECO-Asia worked with the MRC Secretariat and the Member Countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to strengthen capabilities to prevent and manage transboundary conflict, and to promote sustainable hydropower. As part of this effort, ECO-Asia helped develop a range of tools and capabilities for use by the MRC.
