Regional Program in Asia
CONTACTS
Mission Director
Olivier Carduner
GPF Towers, Tower A
93/1 Wireless Road
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Tel: 662-263-7400
Fax: 662-263-7499
Desk Officer
Cheryl Jennings
Tel: (202) 712-4705
Email: cjennings@usaid.gov 
Villagers from the Kampuan subdistrict in southern Thailand gather regularly at town hall meetings to discuss tsunami relief efforts and community priorities. USAID heard about the villagers’ dilemma and began working to encourage input and participation from all affected parties in reconstruction decisions. (Photo: AIT/Vinij Tan) Overview
USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) oversees a broad portfolio of programs addressing numerous regional and transnational issues, such as responsible use of natural resources, improved access to clean water, reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, prevention of human and wildlife trafficking, facilitating trade, and resolving political and economic conflict. The Mission’s regional approach to development projects provides a cost-effective way to manage services and programs. It strengthens regional institutions and helps to engage regional and international partners. RDMA was established in Bangkok in 2003 to manage bilateral USAID programs in Southeast Asian countries without USAID Missions, including Burma, China, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Now it oversees bilateral and regional programs that benefit all of East Asia and much of South Asia.
Programs
Economic Growth: Environment
Asia’s population is projected to increase by one billion by 2025, with most of the growth concentrated in cities. This rapid urbanization already contributes to deteriorating environmental conditions and negative health and economic impacts. By sharing innovations through regional networks, USAID introduces policies, practices and technologies to address key challenges in biodiversity conservation, transnational water conflict, access to safe water and sanitation, and clean development and climate change. USAID promotes regional cooperation and networking as well as strengthened environmental governance.
Investing In People: Health
Countries in Asia continue to suffer from the scourge of HIV/AIDS, avian influenza, malaria and tuberculosis. There are an estimated 8.8 million HIV infections in the region, representing 21 percent of the global total. Migration across national borders for work is common, leading to the further spread of disease and drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis and malaria. This is especially a problem in refugee camps. USAID helps countries in Southeast Asia build their ability to research these infectious diseases, keep track of their spread, train researchers and caregivers, and provide care for those affected in their communities. With USAID's help, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand began standard surveillance for malaria. USAID has also built hospices and provided home-based care for HIV/AIDS patients in Thailand and Burma.
Economic Growth: Economic Integration
It is essential to foster economic integration and improved governance in a region with economies at significantly different stages of development. USAID supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in their efforts to enhance trade, economic growth and regional governance. USAID also strengthens regional competitiveness through legal reform, anti-corruption efforts, access to credit, cluster development, and support for micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses.
Peace and Security: Preventing Human Trafficking
Trafficking in persons involves victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Annually, nearly 800,000 people – mostly women and children – are trafficked across national borders, excluding millions of people who are trafficked within their own countries. The U.S. Government has a critical role in the fight against trafficking in persons and USAID is uniquely positioned to engage this issue across Asia. By nature, trafficking in persons is a regional problem affecting mostly poor and middle-class victims. It often involves using developing countries as transit points to wealthy destination countries. Prevention, protection and prosecution programs can benefit from a regional perspective working across national borders. USAID supports a pan-Asian anti-trafficking media campaign to raise awareness about and increase prevention of human trafficking in Asia.
Peace and Security: Helping Marginalized Communities
Uneven economic growth, ethnic tensions, political repression, human rights abuses and the aftermath of war in Southeast Asia all put stress on communities, including Burmese migrants, ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and war victims in Laos. USAID works to improve conditions for these groups. In southern Thailand, USAID has educational reform and civil society activities to reduce conflict and counter terrorist propaganda through increased dialogue between the Islamic community and the Government of Thailand.
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