Environment Programme
The Environment Programme's goal is to assist the member countries to protect the environment and maintain the ecological balance of the basin while ensuring environmental and social sustainability of economic development undertaken within the region, particularly within the energy/water resource and transportation sectors.
It also supports the other core programmes with environmental data and tools for environmental planning and management. Assessment and monitoring of water quality and ecosystem health form an important part of the provision of data.
The Environment Programme began implementing a revised programme for 2004-2008 in January 2004.
During 2004 the Environment Programme conducted the second field survey for the basinwide water quality diagnostic study and a study on the status of the ecological health of the river, both of which will contribute to the Basin Report Card on Environmental Conditions due to be released in 2005.
Other achievements in 2004 include:
Environmental Knowledge is an integral component of the Environment Programme. In the past 12 months the programme has supported the completion of a Species Management Plan for the Mekong dolphin, in conjunction with the World Conservation Society.Further work is now part of the Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Programme.
The Environment Programme has also signed a contract with Monash
University in Melbourne, Australia to jointly fund a Cambodian
PhD student to study the ecology of
Tonle Sap Lake.