Environment and natural resources
Forests and forestry
Illegal logging groups arrested
Eleven Vietnamese men and two Cambodian men have been arrested for border crossing offenses and logging in protected forests. Interior Ministry immigration police officer Bun Chantha said the Cambodians and seven of the Vietnamese were arrested in Rattanakiri province’s Lumphat district on March 27. The provincial ...
Forestry agreement inked as Laos, China pursue sustainable resource development
Bilateral cooperation for sustainable and forestry industry development is set to expand following the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos and State Forestry Administration of China. Cooperation is set to cover seven main areas such as afforestation, forest ...
In defining plantations as forest, FAO attracts criticism
What’s in a definition? For some, too much. Nearly 200 organizations have signed an open letter to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, calling for the agency to change how they define “forest” – the very landscape honored today on International Day ...
Ranger station razed by mob
A mob of some 60 men burned down an environmental ranger station inside Mondulkiri’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday, allegedly as revenge against rangers who had previously stopped them from clearing forest, an official said yesterday. Keo Sopheak, provincial environmental department director, said the ...
Denmark prohibits companies from selling Myanmar teak on European Union markets
Denmark last week placed an injunction on all Danish companies that prohibits them from selling teak imported from Myanmar on European markets. The ruling comes after evidence that Danish timber company Keflico had violated the European Union Timber Regulation was brought to light by the ...
Myanmar timber enterprise to respond to Danish teak sanctions
Danish authorities have made a ruling to place injunctions on all seven Danish operators bringing Myanmar teak into the Scandinavian country. Myanmar Timber Enterprise has plans to respond to the sanctions placed on the entire Myanmar teak industry, according to U Khin Maung Kyi, deputy ...
Probe finds high-ranking officials involved in smuggling timber to Vietnam
An official investigation has found that more than a dozen police, military police and army officials allegedly colluded with Vietnamese timber smugglers to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars in bribes, according to a letter from National Police Commissioner Neth Savoeun. Signed by ...
Illegal logging in Quảng Nam
Local administration and provincial agencies are investigating illegal logging in the Bắc Trà My District’s protective forest. Trần Anh Tuấn, Chairman of the district’s People’s Committee, confirmed the ongoing investigation to the Việt Nam News on March 15, saying that the illegal forest destruction has occurred in Trà ...
Haze problem worsens in North as many provinces hit by wildfires
Many provinces were affected by wildfires yesterday, causing the acute haze problem to intensify, while the Disease Control Department warned vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the infirm to stay indoors and wear face masks. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said that due to ...
Savannakhet orders 253 furniture plants to shut down
Savannakhet provincial authorities have ordered 253 family-based furniture plants to shut down many of them operating without business licenses, while some are failing to meet set standards. Some 166 plants are operating without business licenses, while the 87 remaining plants approved by districts’ authorities failed ...