The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries have made stunning progress over the past quarter century. Once plagued by poverty, they are now economic success stories. The GMS Economic Cooperation Program (GECP) has contributed significantly to this transformation. Since it was established in 1992 as a means to enhance economic relations and promote regional cooperation, its six member countries — Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam — have built a platform for economic cooperation that has mobilized almost $21 billion for high-priority infrastructure projects.

Keep reading …

The post Inequality, Migration, & Industry 4.0 Challenge GMS Prosperity first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

The countries comprising Southeast Asia have witnessed steady economic growth and improving living standards since the Asian Financial Crisis. Having weathered the global fiscal and financial crisis better than most other parts of the world, Southeast Asia has become the third-fastest growing region in the world after China and India. In the wake of this economic success story, energy demand has increased rapidly and is projected to grow in the coming years as people aspire to own modern household appliances and personal vehicles. At the same time, conventional energy production is expected to decline in important oil and gas exporting countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Expanding energy access and delivering secure and sustainable energy supplies will be key to sustaining Southeast Asia’s economic success story as industry, business and households depend on energy to keep the lights on.

Keep reading

The post ASEAN energy cooperation: the only way to prevent ‘lights out’ in the region first appeared on Open Development Mekong.