Environment and natural resources
Forests and forestry
Binh Phuoc suspends six forest projects
The southern province of Binh Phuoc will stop clearing natural forest land for the planting of industrial trees with high economic value, the provincial authority has announced. Binh Phuoc Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that it had initially suspended six projects for developing ...
Illegal logging mars Magwe’s deep forests
The scene is lined with turquoise mountains, surrounded by white cloud. Wherever you look you can see green-tinted hills and mist. This is the western fringe of Magwe Region in central Myanmar, on the border with Rakhine State, where valuable forests cover the Yoma mountains. Vast ...
Dams inevitably result in species decline, losses on reservoir islands
Hydropower development is booming, with controversial projects unfolding across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. Though often presented as a green renewable energy option, dams can cause a litany of negative impacts: disrupting the downstream flow of nutrients, interrupting aquatic migration routes and harming fisheries. They ...
PM tries again on deforestation
In recent months Prime Minister Hun Sen has made an effort to show that the government has a handle on the voracious deforestation that has ravaged the country’s forests over the years. Yet his speeches and decrees have done little to slow down, much less ...
Non-ASEAN investors now qualify for local privileges
Non-ASEAN-based investors who have already invested in ASEAN will now be eligible for privileges enjoyed by their ASEAN counterparts in five sectors: agriculture, fisheries, forestry, mining and industrial. The International Economic Policy Committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on August 22 approved a proposal by ...
Logged forests are havens for endangered species in Southeast Asia
A logged forest isn’t a lost forest, new research reveals. In recent surveys, scientists from Imperial College London found a surprising number of endangered species living in logged forests in Borneo.The forests in question aren’t clear cut, but “selectively logged.” Only a specific tree species ...
Replanting scheme touted
A government announcement that it will promote the replanting of trees in areas reclaimed from unused economic land concessions has drawn a broadly positive response. But Buntenh, a monk and environmental activist, on August 22 said that while the idea was good, it was not clear ...
China’s three parallel rivers national park threatened by illegal mining
China’s best preserved forests in south-west China’s Yunnan province are under threat from illegal mining, according to a new report. The study by Greenpeace shows mining and industry activity in the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan protected area is destroying pristine forests in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. ...
EPF extends support to combat illegal hunting and trading of wildlife
The Environmental Protection Fund has budgeted over US$ 1 million for two projects aiming to support the combat of illegal hunting and trading of wildlife in the country. The project known as Timber and Non-timber Forest Product Trade and Law Enforcement will receive US$568,862 and will ...
RCAF stripping timber from Oral Wildlife Sanctuary: probe
Military vehicles are hauling wood from a protected area to be burned as fuel in garment factories, investigators from NGO Wildlife Alliance have found. Seng Bunra, country director of NGO Conservation International, said on August 16 that RCAF trucks have become notorious for taking wood from ...
