The fifth summit of member countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) was recently held in Bangkok, a project launched in 1992 by the Asian Development Bank which involves all the states sharing the Mekong River basin (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Chinese province of Yunnan). In two decades of life, the GMS has worked with some success to promote the socio-economic development of the member countries, the raising of the living standards of the inhabitants and the fight against poverty. Particular attention was paid to enhancing the infrastructure, through the expansion and modernization of the railway network and the creation of a system of roads and bridges which connects the localities of the Mekong delta. At the basis of the GMS action so far, in keeping with the slogans, has been the 3C strategy: competitiveness, community, connectivity.
But now someone is starting to realize that this is not enough, that building infrastructures and promoting free trade are excellent things, but they risk not bringing the desired effects if we close our eyes to other problems, first of all that of pollution. Now that the Mekong is competing, with good chances of success, for the title of most polluted river in the world, action oriented towards respect for the environment and sustainable development is a commitment that can no longer be postponed. This is what Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at the summit, underlining how the degradation of the environment and, in particular, the deterioration of the quality of river waters can compromise, even drastically, the positive results in terms of economic development and improvement of the levels of well-being, which GMS boasts. The solution? Provide assistance to member countries to adopt "green" growth models, encourage the sharing of "sustainable" water management systems and encourage the creation of a network of small and medium-sized enterprises that operate with respect for the environment.
