Mekong River Basin Climate Change Adaptation Project (MRB-CCAP), USAID/RDMA, Thailand

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA) requires support for the implementation of its "Mekong River Basin Climate Change Adaptation Project (MRB-CCAP) program. The objectives of the program are to: Strengthen human and institutional capacity to develop and implement climate change adaptation plans and strategies; Strengthen policies, tools, methodologies and practices for ecosystem services valuation and climate resiliency; Demonstrate and scale-up model actions for integrated approaches to climate change adaptation; and Strengthen and sustain regional learning networks to share and replicate best practices. USAID/RDMA envisions a five-year program incrementally funded over five years with an estimated budget ranging from $9 million to $9.9 million (subject to availability of funds). Program activities are expected to be a comprehensive study of the likely impact of climate change on prevalent agriculture subsectors and ecosystems in the Basin. The study will apply hydro-meteorological data from atmosphere-ocean general circulation models to agriculture suitability and ecosystem envelope models to forecast the expected changes, assess the probable impacts, and develop adaptation strategies. This information will be used in the implementation of 5 to 6 integrated ecosystem and community based adaptation pilot projects in representative ecosystems in the Basin. During the implementation of the pilot projects, data will be systematically collected and analyzed to provide a better valuation of the ecosystem services on which the communities depend, and this will be used to provide guidance on national policies related to valuing ecosystem services. The costs and benefits of the pilot projects will be carefully monitored and successful practices will be drawn together to develop, at a pre-feasibility level, potential national integrated ecosystem and community based adaptation projects that could be eligible for financing from climate change adaptation funds. Lessons from the project will be widely disseminated through a regional knowledge center platform.