Environment and natural resources
Climate change
Extreme weather: the new normal for Myanmar farmers
Recent flooding highlights the climactic challenges that upper Myanmar farmers are now facing on a regular basis. Sagaing Region was particularly badly hit from mid-July onward. As other rivers, streams, dams and dykes also burst their banks, houses and fields were inundated, with Kin-U, Kawlin and ...
China’s climate change plan represents decisive move
Chinese premier Li Keqiang recently unveiled the country’s plan for combating climate change. While it could have been more ambitious, the plan shows China’s leaders are serious about changing the country’s development path. It critically undermines those in the West who claim that climate action should be ...
Laos: New farming methods suited to climate change
Poverty and scarce food supply was just a fact of life for the people in Koutou village, Luang Namtha province, Laos. With most people relying on rice farming and livestock for their livelihood, there were few options for other income. Koutou is one of 13 villages ...
China climate targets prompt fears over surge in dam construction
China’s plan to cut carbon emissions commits Beijing to a surge in construction of ecologically destructive hydropower dams that heralds the end of free-flowing rivers in the country, experts say. Beijing last week formally submitted its 2030 goals for generating energy from non-fossil fuels, garnering international praise as nations ...
Lack of rain gauges putting weathermen at disadvantage
While some areas of Cambodia are undoubtedly suffering from an extended dry season, a lack of rain gauges means that comprehensive data is hard to find. Oum Ryna, director of the Department of Meteorology at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, told Post Weekend that the ...
Saving Laos from global warming
The fragile relationship between agriculture and climate in Laos is imperiled. From the riverine paddies to the limestone karst, Laos’ subsistence farmers—about 80 percent of the rural population—depend on getting the right amount of rain at the right time. But in recent years, changes in ...