Environment and natural resources

Forests and forestry

Study examines forest loss in Mekong region

Dramatic forest degradation and loss in the Greater Mekong region have both their causes and potential solutions rooted in forest governance, according to a recent publication by researchers from the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC), the University of British Columbia, and WWF. (The full ...

Karen Mo

Press Release: The EU and Vietnam implement and Agreement on combating illegal logging and promoting trade in legal timber

On May 8th, 2019, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Viet Nam and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a joint meeting to announce the completion of the process of approval and ratification of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest ...

Cambodian sanctuary ravaged by logging

As you approach Beng Per Wildlife Sanctuary, five hours north of Phnom Penh, it’s difficult to tell exactly where the park begins. There is no audience of trees to greet you, no sign to welcome you. In many areas, there are no trees at all, ...

Chris Humphrey

Ministry approves protected area status for Yeak Laom Lake in Ratanakkiri

The Ministry of Environment on Friday approved the registration of the Yeak Laom Lake community natural protected area in Ratanakkiri province to support the preservation of natural resources, culture and eco-tourism. The indigenous community hailed the decision, but said it had come too late to save ...

Voun Dara

The World Lost a Belgium-sized Area of Primary Rainforests Last Year

The tropics lost 12 million hectares of tree cover in 2018, the fourth-highest annual loss since record-keeping began in 2001. Of greatest concern is the disappearance of 3.6 million hectares of primary rainforest, an area the size of Belgium. The figures come from updated data from the ...

Mikaela Weisse and Elizabeth Dow Goldman

Vietnamese land grabbers linked to Cambodian firm

A senior Virak Chey National Park official on Monday said the 12 Vietnamese nationals being held in pre-trial detention for allegedly crossing the border illegally into Ratanakkiri province and clearing land are suspected of having links to a Cambodian company. Sou Khon, Virak Chey National Park ...

Illegal Charcoal Trade Wrecks Myanmar’s Bulwark Against Cyclones

The depletion of mangroves in southern Myanmar is impacting local fisheries near the island villages and playing havoc with the mangrove forest that protect the coastline from extreme weather events. The illegal charcoal trade persists due to a lack of law enforcement and oversight in Myanmar ...

Wudan Yan

Heritage site or home? Indigenous Thais fight for right to forest

Hundreds of indigenous Karen people in Thailand face evictions from a national park that authorities wish to turn into a World Heritage Site, joining millions in a similarly precarious situation as authorities worldwide push tough conservation laws. The Kaeng Krachan is Thailand’s biggest national park, sprawled ...

Mangroves deliver research surprise

Rates of growth and loss in mangrove forests are higher than previous estimates, according to satellite measurements of the Rufiji, Zambezi, Ganges and Mekong deltas. And natural expansion and growth of new mangrove forests could partially compensate for declines caused by human activity. “What we see ...

Restoring the Can Gio mangrove forest in the Mekong Delta

Covering 75,740 ha or a little more than the size of the island state of Singapore, the Can Gio or Sac biosphere reserve located in the Mekong Delta is rich in biodiversity, and listed as a biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and ...

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