Greater Mekong Subregion: Capacity Development for Economic Zones in Border Areas

Client: Asian Development Bank

Duration: 2017-2018

Location: PRC, Vietnam, Laos

Contract Value: USD 15,430

Catalogue: Economic Development

Project Description

The Technical Assistantance (TA) focused on the following 17 border points prioritized by the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Task Force on Urban Development. These border areas are critical points along the GMS corridors and are considered important links between the countries. Partnered with PM Group, NAREE provided consulting services to the Asian Development Bank, which included: (i) reviewing the governments' policies and plans for development of border areas including border economic zones (BEZs); (ii) identifying challenges and opportunities for the development of urban centers at border points and BEZs interms of urban planning and infrastructure development in each participating country; (iii) proposing improvements in the future GMS corridor towns development approach with an increased focus on border areas; (iv) developed apipeline of the fifth, sixth, and seventh phases of the GMS CTDP; (v) conducting regional seminars to increase awareness and capacity on urban, border area, and BEZ development; and (vi) pre-feasibility studies for the fifth GMS CTDP.

Services Provided by NAREE

Desk Review - NAREE conducted the policies, strategies, and plans for border area development of each of the participating governments as well as the existing conditions of 17 priority border points; assessed the challenges and opportunities for the development of urban centers at border points and BEZs in terms of urban planning and infrastructure development; and prepared notes on the policy framework of the GMS corridor towns development initiative.

BEZs development issues analysis – NAREE identified the issues and difficulties common to all participating countries as well as the country specific issues and difficulties that impede effective development and management of the BEZs; and assessed the country specific needs for awareness raising and capacity development.

Seminar organization - Based on the lesson learnt from the field study, NAREE assisted to design seminars on the issues and difficulties common to all participating countries with a focus on spatial planning, urban management, operation and maintenance of urban infrastructure, and sustainable municipal service delivery in the border areas.