Environment and natural resources
NA discusses fisheries and forests
A draft amendment to the 2003 Law on Fisheries would allow provincial people’s committees to assign, lease and withdraw sea surface areas from organisations and individuals for aquaculture farming but a National Assembly working body says the Government or ministries should do the job. Presenting ...
Network formed to create climate resilient rice in Mekong Delta
Five Mekong Delta provinces and 11 agencies have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in forming the Mekong Partnership for Climate Resilient Rice Research Network (MPCRR-N). The signatories were the departments of agriculture and rural development of An Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu ...
Rainforest alliance, UTZ announce merger to create single sustainability standard and certification program
In a rare instance of a merger in the non-profit world, the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, two influential agricultural sustainability certification bodies, have announced they will come together under the Rainforest Alliance name later this year. Together, the two NGOs certify some 182,000 cocoa, coffee, ...
Myanmar will join Asian forest cooperation organization
The Union Parliament on Tuesday approved the signing of the regional agreement for the establishment of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization, after President U Htin Kyaw put forward the proposal. Burma’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation presented the proposal to Parliament last month. The organization was ...
Four million blue swimmer crabs released off Phú Quốc Island
More than four million pregnant blue swimmer crabs on Monday were released into the sea off Phú Quốc Island in an effort to replenish stocks in the area. Quảng Trọng Thao, deputy director of the Kiên Giang Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said ...
Hydropower dams, water diversion threaten Mekong Delta's water security
Scientists have once again raised their concerns about water security in the Mekong Delta, saying that hydropower dams on the Mekong River’s upper course as well as Thailand, Laos and Cambodia’s plans to divert the river are the biggest threats. Le Anh Tuan, deputy head ...
South China Sea agreement expected in November: official
Asian countries will likely agree on a code of conduct for the South China Sea when regional leaders meet for a summit in November, Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo said Monday. Manalo spoke at a panel on the achievements and challenges of ...
Animal farms in Southeast Asia fuel an illegal trade in rare wildlife
The tiger paced back and forth in its cage, groaning mournfully. A second big cat slept soundly in the corner, while a third stared blankly at the bars. Next to this cage was another containing three more tigers, and after that three more cages: a ...
China's ivory ban sparks dramatic drop in prices across Asia
The price of raw ivory in Asia has fallen dramatically since the Chinese government announced plans to ban its domestic legal ivory trade, according to new research seen by the Guardian. Poaching, however, is not dropping in parallel.Undercover investigators from the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) ...
Financing sustainable agriculture possible, if terms fit farmers’ needs
Much of the deforestation in the world’s tropical rainforests comes so that we humans have enough to eat. But sustainable agricultural practices exist that help farmers coax more corn and soybeans, coffee and cacao, and a host of other products from the soil, without having ...
