GIZ has commissioned CAD experts to design an environmental management system for the Mekong River Commission in Laos and Cambodia.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) as a regional river basin organisation has the mandate to support its member countries to manage the Mekong basin water and related resources in a more effective, sustainable and equitable manner. Hence, threats to the environment including the arising challenge of climate change are core business areas for the MRC.
In that context, MRC is concerned about its own potential impact on the environment in relation to climate change and intends to establish an environmental management system that enables MRC to routinely audit environmental aspects as well as its carbon foot print in order to take corrective measures for mitigation. CAD experts together with the GIZ internal environmental management team were responsible for the first assessment of the environmental impacts in Vientiane and Phnom Penh and developed strategic recommendations on how environmental management can be integrated into MRCs operations in a strategic and sustainable way. Additionally, a baseline for environmental data as well as an action plan for the first year has been developed for the two office buildings in Vientiane and Phnom Penh. The proposed environmental management system is based on a long term perspective and provides visible impacts and improvements to the situation at MRCs operations.