Biodiversity
Plants
Hundreds of newly discovered species under threat in Southeast Asia’s Mekong region
Nearly 400 species only just discovered in Asia’s Greater Mekong region could soon become extinct due to loss of habitat caused by human activity, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned in a report published Monday. The discoveries – including an orchid that looks like a “Muppet ...
Kathleen Magramo
Thai Plants and Animals under Threat from Habitat Loss to Climate Change
The National Committee on Conservation and Utilisation of Biodiversity has endorsed the latest update report on the country’s status of biodiversity, which has found a number of plants and animals over the past year were increasingly under threat; from habitat loss to climate change The committee, ...
B.Tribune
How wasps saved Asia’s forests
In our recent study, we combined field observations and satellite imagery to show how the tiny pest-killing lopezi wasp (Anagyrus lopezi) helped combat deforestation in Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam by controlling a pest that was devastating cassava crops across the region. Keep reading ...
With its Environmental Crisis, Is Laos Missing the Forest for the Trees?
Laos’ reputation as having some of the most lush and diverse forests in the Mekong remains under serious threat after a December investigation by government officials found evidence of large-scale illegal logging operations in the southern Attapeu province, despite recent efforts to end the practice. ...
Erin Cook
Environmentalists say Da Nang’s Son Tra must remain pristine
Without the original Son Tra, Da Nang will be just like other sea cities in Vietnam, according to environmentalists who are opposed to tourism development at the site. Biodiversity Conservancy International’s Chair Dang Trung Phuoc has sent letters to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and ministries, ...
Four million blue swimmer crabs released off Phú Quốc Island
More than four million pregnant blue swimmer crabs on Monday were released into the sea off Phú Quốc Island in an effort to replenish stocks in the area. Quảng Trọng Thao, deputy director of the Kiên Giang Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said ...
Organisations discuss capacity for improved regional forest governance
The Center for People and Forests in partnership with the Lao Biodiversity Association and the World Wide Fund for Nature have launched a five year project to strengthen capacity in forest governance. Supported by the European Union, the project’s objective is to empower non-state actors ...
The Mekong and the battle for the ‘Mother of Rivers’
For wildlife enthusiasts in the region, these are exciting times. A horned lizard and rainbow-headed snake were among 163 delightful new species documented last year by scientists alongside 10 endangered Irrawaddy dolphin calves. Fewer than 90 Irrawaddy dolphins exist on the planet.But all is not ...
Meet the activists risking life and limb to protect rivers
In late March of this year, an unusual group of activists gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia for a four-day conference to strategize around stopping destructive hydropower projects across the globe. Hailing from countries as diverse as Chile, Congo, Albania, Mongolia, China, Thailand, and Colombia, they had ...
Rare Ayeyarwady dolphin death cause for concern
A rare Ayeyarwady dolphin has died after sustaining serious injuries, including losing its tail, during the last week of April. According to U Maung Lay, a spokesperson for the Ayeyarwady Dolphin Conservation and Cooperative Fishermen Association, officials are trying to determine the cause of death. Speaking ...
