Environment and natural resources

Ecological services

Giant river animals on verge of extinction, report warns

Populations of the great beasts that once dominated the world’s rivers and lakes have crashed in the last 50 years, according to the first comprehensive study. Some freshwater megafauna have already been declared extinct, such as the Yangtze dolphin, and many more are now on the ...

Damian Carrington

Where Did All the Free-Flowing Rivers Go?

A map of the world’s free-flowing rivers shows a shrinking number can still meander as they please. New plans for hydropower will further constrain flow.  Giant catfish once swam in the golden-brown waters of the Mekong River near the Thai village of Sob Ruak. But since ...

Jenessa Duncombe

Exploring wetland along upper Mekong River in Stung Treng

Trees with aerial roots exposed over the water, white sand islets dotted across limpid water, Irrawaddy dolphin pools and critically endangered fish breeding pools among braided channels and flooded forests; these are just some of the attractions drawing tourists from around the world to the ...

Raksmey Hong

Dams threaten traditional way of life in Mekong Basin

 Sak Siam, 69, chief of Chnok Tru, a village in central Cambodia, is worried. The floating village of about 1,700 households is located on a tributary of the Mekong River. “The villagers will be unable to survive if the fish catch decreases further,” he said. Hydroelectric ...

Mekong Delta must develop in sustainable way, or risk serious damage: experts

Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent expert on Mekong Delta’s ecology, has praised the government’s Resolution on developing the Mekong Delta by 2050 in a sustainable way in the context of climate change. Keep reading ...

Trong Dat

China tells Donald Trump there is an 'international responsibility' to act over climate change

There is an “international responsibility” to fight climate change, China’s Premier Li Keqiang has said in a clear message to Donald Trump ahead of his expected announcement that the US will withdraw from the historic Paris Agreement.Despite widespread reports of the US’s imminent departure, Mr ...

Vietnam lacks green works despite legal framework

Despite many regulations favoring energy-saving construction, Vietnam still has few green buildings. The rapid development of the middle-class, which uses air-conditioners regularly, is a major reason behind the increasingly high electricity consumption in large cities of Vietnam, according to EuroCham. Tomaso Andreatta, chair of EuroCham’s Green ...

Party chief urges Nam Định to attract more investment

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng has urged the northern province of Nam Định to attract more investment in industry, agriculture and services. During a working session with Nam Định’s key authority officials in the province on February 8, he hailed the province’s strategic position ...

Ecotourism gives impetus to tourism

Some 800,000 foreign tourists last year came to Thailand with the specific purpose of visiting villages, natural sites, communities, and hilltribes across the Kingdom, while more than 2 million Thai tourists also pursued these interests. They mingled well with like-minded travellers who cherished the “ecotourism” ...

Takeo zoo animals to get new home in SR

A group of animals, including a family of gibbons, currently living at Takeo province’s Phnom Tamao Zoo are set to be transferred to Siem Reap’s Banteay Srei district in a bid to boost eco-tourism. The animals will be moved to the Khun Ream rosewood farm ...

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