Energy
Electricity production
New generation takes up cudgels against dam construction on Salween River
“When the Salween runs dry and we can cross it, that would be the end of the world,” is a saying widely believed by generations of locals who live on the banks of the river in Mae Hong Son province. In a proactive move, the ...
Thai PBS World
China's Mekong dams turn Thai fishing villages into 'ghost towns'
CHIANG KHONG, Thailand: From February to April each year, Kam Thon spends most of her days knee-deep in the waters of the Mekong River by her village in northern Thailand, gathering river weed to sell and cook at home. Kam Thon and other women who live ...
RINA CHANDRAN, THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Mekong River Commission promotes responsible water resources management, development
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is working to promote the maximization of the potential benefits of hydropower and other water-related development projects while minimising the harmful impact on the environment and millions of people living along this Southeast Asia’s largest river. The MRC launched two sets ...
NEWSROOM ODISHA NETWORK
Thai farmers near Mekong lose land as riverbanks collapse
Thai communities living along the Mekong River have watched their land disappear before their eyes as riverbanks collapse. However, what has caused these riverbank collapses is unclear. Local residents link the riverbank collapses to the irregular water flows that have been seen since the commercial launch ...
Thitipan Pattanamongkol
Vietnam gets foreign financial backing for decarbonization effort
Three financial institutions in Japan, the United States and Australia have announced that they will support Vietnam’s decarbonization effort. The institutions, backed by the governments of the countries mentioned above, would help Vietnam transition into liquefied natural gas plants and step up renewable energy utilization and ...
The Saigon Times
Controversial Mekong dam in Laos faces economic and regulatory hurdles
The fishing village of Khoen Khen in southern Laos is a quiet place, nestled along the banks of the Mekong River and hemmed by a ridge of mountains. But tranquil as it may now appear, locals say they’re waiting for a coming wave of construction ...
Andrew Haffner
As waste-to-energy incinerators spread in Southeast Asia, so do concerns
In 2016, Bangkok opened its first waste-to-energy incinerator in the district of Nong Khaem, turning up to 500 metric tons of solid waste into electricity every day. The 9.8 megawatt incinerator uses technology from Japan’s Hitachi Zosen, and the project aims to be a model ...
Nicha Wachpanich
U.S. Vice President Harris announces $20 million new clean energy funding for Mekong region
U.S Vice President Kamala Harris announced $20 million in new funding for clean energy projects in the Mekong region, during the last day of her tour of Thailand on Sunday following a regional summit. She spoke to civil society and business leaders in Bangkok after the ...
Poppy Mcpherson
Flooding thwarted by dams, Mekong Delta flood-resistant houses stand unused for decades
Around 100 flood-resistant houses built in the Mekong Delta have not been used for two decades as upstream dams have disrupted the eagerly awaited flooding season. One afternoon in November, Nguyen Thi Diem, 32, and her husband took advantage of the sunny weather to fix the ...
Hoang Nam
Climate change: efforts to halt rise in global temperatures may be too late to save key glaciers, report warns
Glaciers in UN World Heritage sites are among those likely to disappear by 2050 as a result of global warming – regardless of efforts to limit the rise in global temperatures, scientists have warned. Researchers fear their loss is likely to have a devastating impact on vital waterways ...
Holly Chik