Disasters and emergency response
Disasters
Record-breaking floods in northern Thailand intensify scrutiny of Mekong dam project
In the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, communities in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province are taking stock of the toll wreaked by heavy rains and rising rivers. At least 33 people lost their lives in the country since mid-August amid hazardous conditions that devastated riverside homes, businesses and ...
Carolyn Cowan
Mekong River levels recede below crisis point
NAKHON PHANOM, Thailand – Authorities in Nakhon Phanom are closely monitoring Typhoon Yagi, though the situation remains under control for now, September 8. Water levels in the Mekong River have been steadily decreasing, currently standing at 9.20 meters, approximately 3 meters below the critical threshold, allowing the ...
Pattaya Mail
Mekong Delta expects higher floods this season
HCM CITY – The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta is entering its annual flooding season and many rice farmers in upstream provinces have opened their field sluices to let the floodwaters and aquatic creatures in. The floods are caused by the rising level of the Mekong River ...
Viet Nam News
China says Mekong dam did not discharge water downstream amid heavy flooding in Thailand
China said on Tuesday a major dam on the Mekong River did not discharge floodwaters last week amid heavy flooding in Thailand. Monsoon rains across large areas in Thailand have caused extensive flooding that has killed at least nine people and affected more than 51,700 households, ...
Meredith Chen
Southeast Asia heatwave: Thailand’s heat index tops 52 degrees as Philippines risks ‘overloaded’ power systems
Thailand is reeling under the grip of a severe heatwave with temperatures soaring to record highs in some areas and authorities warned of harsher weather in the coming days. More than three dozen districts across Thailand’s 77 provinces have seen record temperatures in April, generally the hottest month of ...
Bloomberg
Vietnam heatwave threatens farmers' livelihoods, worsens challenges for Mekong
HO CHI MINH CITY — A heatwave in Vietnam is worsening environmental conditions in the Mekong Delta region, and farmers and gig workers have told VOA the heat is causing grueling working conditions and cutting crop yields. The heatwave is fueled by the El Nino weather pattern ...
VOA News
Special Report: Under the Haze - Demystifying the Flames
Under last year’s haze that shrouded the region and sent over two million people to hospital, concerned authorities and policymakers have started to dispel the myth that has lasted for over 16 years, demystifying it and discovering the root causes; the vastly burned forests and ...
Piyaporn W.
Mekong Delta crossroads experiences chaos due to high tide
A high tide caused many houses and restaurants to be flooded, leading to prolonged congestion at the Trung Luong junction, where Highway 1A crosses Highway 60 in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. By 4 p.m. on Sunday, many streets within a radius of one ...
Hoang Nam
Saltwater intrusion forecast to come early in Mekong Delta
HÀ NỘI — Localities within the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta are devising strategies to tackle the anticipated early onset of saltwater intrusion, projected to occur soon. These strategies aim to secure adequate water for the winter-spring rice harvest and reduce the damage inflicted by drought and salinity. The ...
VNS
Mekong water level falling
NAKHON PHANOM: The level of the Mekong river is falling and water can now be drained more quickly out of thousands of rai of flooded rice fields, authorities in this northeastern border province said on Monday. The river was receding by 10-20 centimetres per day. It ...
PATTANAPONG SRIPIACHAI