Environment and natural resources
Air Pollution Remains Cause for Alarm in Asia
At the start of the year the pollution in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, reached six times the World Health Organization’s guideline levels for air quality. Yet the levels, which appear higher than those of South Korea’s capital Seoul—where most people monitor the air pollution levels daily—is ...
Landslides, erosions encircle Mekong Delta
Landslides in the Mekong Delta have occurred in over 560 riverside and coastal areas with a total length of 786 kilometers. These include 42 serious landslide-stricken areas, 148 kilometers in length, that need urgent treatment to save people’s lives and assets. Keep reading ...
No major flooding mishaps despite rising Mekong waters, says Ministry
Water levels have been rising in Stung Treng, Kratie, Tbong Khmum, Kampong Cham and Battambang provinces over the past two weeks, but so far floods have not had a serious impact, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology said. Its spokesman Chan Yutha told The ...
Southeast Asia's Tigers Show Slight Revival But Remain Under Pressure
According to the best estimates, some 100,000 tigers used to roam through parts of Asia. But that was more than a century ago. Today, experts estimate that worldwide only some 3,800 tigers have survived in the wild. This marks a slight improvement for the big ...
Southeast Asia haze tied to hospitalization for breathing problems
People are more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory disorders during the annual haze season in Southeast Asia, when densely polluted air hovers over the region, than at other times of year, a Malaysian study suggests. Since 2005, Southeast Asia has experienced an annual haze due ...
Call for Asean to work together for low-carbon future
The urgent need for Asean to deal with climate change was highlighted yesterday by two Singapore ministers, who called on the regional bloc to work together for a low-carbon future. Keep reading ...
Transboundary EIAs could reduce conflict over river projects
In the Mekong river basin, massive infrastructure projects – dams, road, high-speed rail and ports – are under construction. While these projects will improve connectivity between countries, harmful environmental impacts need to be minimised. National level environmental impacts assessments that ignore cross border impacts are likely ...
4 megatrends affect Vietnam: WB official
At a national conference on Thursday in Vietnam’s Hanoi capital, Ousmane Dione, country director for the World Bank (WB) in Vietnam discussed four megatrends affecting Vietnam’s sustainable and competitive development. []Meanwhile, climate change poses a significant risk to Vietnam, he said, noting that rising sea-levels expose ...
Mekong delta provinces want more funds to tackle erosion
Ca Mau and Kien Giang Provinces seek greater government assistance for building embankments and planting protective mangrove forests. Keep reading ...
6th GEF Assembly: 4.1 billion USD committed to global environment
The sixth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) concluded on June 28 in the central city of Da Nang with 29 countries pledging to provide 4.1 billion USD for the next four years for numerous global environment-related programmes. Keep reading ...
