Citation

Ramachandran P, Linde L. Environ. Impact Assess. Rev. 2011; 31(6): 602-611.

Affiliation

Asian Development Bank Greater Mekong Subregion Environment Operations Center (RETA 6289), The Offices at Central World 23F, Bangkok, Thailand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011)

DOI

10.1016/j.eiar.2010.04.002

PMID

32287654

PMCID

PMC7115336

Abstract

The GMS countries, supported by the Asian Development Bank, have adopted a holistic, multidimensional approach to strengthen infrastructural linkages and facilitate cross border trade through (i) the establishment of a trans-boundary road connecting two economic nodes across marginalised areas, followed by 2) facilitation of environmentally and socially sound investments in these newly connected areas as a means to develop livelihoods. The North-South Economic Corridor is currently in its second phase of development, with investment opportunities to be laid out in the NSEC Strategy and Action Plan (SAP). It targets the ecologically and culturally sensitive border area between PR China's Yunnan Province, Northern Lao PDR, and Thailand. A trans-boundary, cross-sectoral Strategic Environmental Assessment was conducted to support the respective governments in assessing potential environmental and social impacts, developing alternatives and mitigation options, and feeding the findings back into the SAP writing process. Given the spatial dimension of corridor development-both with regard to opportunities and risks-particular emphasis was put in the application of spatial modelling tools to help geographically locate and quantify impacts as a means to guide interventions and set priorities.

Copyright © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

Economic Corridors, environmental/social impact; Geographic information systems; Greater Mekong Subregion; Spatial models; Strategic Environmental Assessment