Pressing ahead with its vision to become the “Battery of Southeast Asia,” the government of Laos is going forward with plans to build its seventh of nine mainstream dams on the Mekong River, despite widespread concerns that it could inflict social and environmental damage. The 728-megawatt ...

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has brought into effect an iguana import ban amid fears of rapid proliferation and potential environmental damage. The invasive species, discovered in vast numbers in natural habitats in the Lopburi province, have been causing distress to local communities by feeding on agricultural produce. The green iguana ...

As construction on the Don Sahong dam near the Cambodia-Laos border passes its halfway point, activists and locals are increasingly concerned over the disappearance of Irawaddy dolphins and incidences of illness they suspect are caused by the muddied water. “The waters downstream in Cambodia have ...

In January 2020, filmmaker Sean Gallagher traveled to Cambodia with a camera, drone, and a mission: to create a film revealing the impacts of deforestation. Riding on the backs of motorbikes driven by local activists, Gallagher spent several weeks venturing deep into protected forests in ...

The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) is growing in development and investment projects, especially economic infrastructure, agriculture, livestock, hotels, tourism, residential areas, and entertainment, to attract more visitors, while over 500 companies are investing in the area. During a visit by reporters this week to ...

Farmer Tu Tan in Thoai Son District of An Giang Province joyfully sold his harvested rice at a price of VND8,800 (US$0.36) per kilo. Owning a large field of 35ha, this is the first time in his 40 years of growing rice that he has ...

Vietnam just marked the 23rd year since the country officially became part of the global internet network, with an ‘Internet Day 2020’ on December 16 that explored the country’s digital journey from post-war backwater enclave to one of the fastest-growing digital economies in Southeast Asia (SEA). The ...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has revised the amount of CO2 transferred in 2018-2019 in the north central region. The ministry sent a report to the Prime Minister on the authority to transfer nearly 6 million tons of residual carbon dioxide (CO2) ...

Two HCMC-based lensmen visited Thua Thien-Hue Province in early September to capture the beauty of Ru Cha mangrove forest turning yellow during the seasonal transition. Lying around 15 km from downtown Hue, Ru Cha is a tiny islet on Tam Giang Lagoon. The islet was formed ...

A recently published report by Eyes on Earth, Inc. has pointed the finger at Chinese dams holding back water as having significantly contributed to the major drought impacting the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. The drought’s effects have been felt by millions and hamper efforts to ...

A lack of rainfall and scorching heat is destroying the livelihoods of Lao farmers, who say their crops are dying amid an ongoing drought in the Southeast Asian region linked to the El Niño phenomenon. The drought since May has left those in Laos who rely on ...

Campaigners in the Tanintharyi region of southern Myanmar have urged international donors to support community conservation efforts, rather than what they see as a top-down approach that excludes indigenous groups. Supporters of the Conservation Alliance of Tanintharyi (CAT) are opposing a $21 million development project, called Ridge ...

Poverty in Laos continues to decline to 18.3 per cent, as infrastructure accessibility has improved, particularly road electricity, clean water and sanitation access, according to data from the Lao Consumption and Expenditure Survey in 2018-2019. Consumption and expenditure of households in Laos have significantly increased, particularly ...

Rochom Sokha, 19, decided to drop out of school last year when he was in grade eight. Now, he is farming with his family in his hometown to help support them, as his four younger siblings are still in school. ...

The Vietnamese government recently promulgated Decree 13/2023/ND-CP on the protection of personal data (VPDP Decree), which takes effect on 1 July 2023. VPDP Decree is the primary legislation governing personal data protection in Vietnam, applying to both domestic and overseas entities directly involved in or related to ...

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training is preparing to send officials to check on whether the second phase of seniority payments will be provided to garment factory workers at the end of the year, said ministry spokesman Heng Sour. Last year, the ministry announced ...

Heng Chheang, the jailed ex-deputy general director of senator Kok An’s Anco Brothers Co, may have been improperly convicted of embezzling more than US$58 million from the tycoon, according to a letter sent to the Supreme Court from the Ministry of Economy and Finance last ...

More than 70 ethnic minority Banong families from two separate villages in Moldolkirri province’s Keo Seima district received communal titles to a combined 1,031 hectares of ancestral land from the Land Management Minister Im Chhun Lim on Saturday. Communal land titles were established under the 2001 ...

Cambodia’s banking industry recorded a slight increase in lending in the first two months of this year after a sharp rise last year, according to a consolidated data provided by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) on Saturday. The data showed that the kingdom’s 33 commercial ...

An online trading firm based in the tax haven of Cyprus is planning to open a subsidiary in Cambodia, an account manager at IronFX’s headquarters in Cyprus said yesterday. “We are on the planning stage in Cambodia. We are now studying law and regulations in the ...