Khao Yai National Park, Thailand – During 23-25 October 2013 in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park, experts from the USAID Low Emissions Asian Development (LEAD) program, in collaboration with the USAID-funded Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (LEAF) program, trained 33 participants from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia on the “triple bottom line” (TBL) valuation method for protected areas. TBL valuation is an approach to assessing the full value of protected natural resource areas, like national parks, which takes into account the economic, social, and environmental benefits they provide to society. The LEAF program is leading develpoment of the new Asia LEDS Partnership Working Group on Agricultue, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU), and the LEAD program serves as the Secretariat of the Asia LEDS Partnership.
As a result of the training, policymakers, park managers, and other stakeholders gained skills and knowledge to better capture the full value provided by protected areas, including climate-related benefits. Four of the five countries participating in the regional training—Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam—are partners in the U.S. Government’s Lower Mekong Initiative that serves as a platform to address complex, transnational development and policy challenges in the Lower Mekong sub-region.
For more information, visit: http://lowemissionsasia.org/news/TBL-training