Border areas have historically been a source of conflict and strife in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Nowadays, with over 20 years of continuing peace and growing prosperity, border areas are focus points for countries in the subregion to work together. To this end, governments and their development partners are working hard to better connect the GMS through transport infrastructure, customs procedures, and border management.

Biodiversity conservation collaboration is also focused on border areas. Most of the GMS’s pristine forests and its richest biodiversity is found in mountainous, isolated areas that straddle the subregion’s countries. South–South cooperation on biodiversity conservation has significantly increased in recent years with the support of CEP and other partners, including Flora and Fauna International and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

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