Environment and natural resources
WB helps Laos to upgrade rural roads
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors is providing US$25 million credit for Laos to strengthen its road maintenance systems and improve road connectivity throughout the country. The credit comes from the International Development Association, according to a report published on the World Bank’s Board ...
Villagers wary of M’kiri mine project
An environmental impact assessment released on Friday for a $245 million mining project slated to begin operations in Mondolkiri province next year has raised concerns about its potential effects on the environment and local communities. The project, proposed by the Chinese-owned Alex Corporation, would see ...
Patrolling The Mekong ep.2: border control police balance work and life in isolated area
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Joint Patrol and Law Enforcement initiative on the Mekong River. In December 2011, security authorities in China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand launched the initiative after around 8 gunmen stormed two Chinese vessels and killed thirteen sailors. In today’s ...
Stronger forestry laws needed: officials
Ineffective forest management has exposed shortcomings in the 2004 Law on Forest Protection and Development that need to be addressed through amendments, officials said at a conference on December 15. Participants at the national conference in the capital city said the law defined the forest ...
Rainbow snake, tiny frog among new Mekong species
A rainbow-headed snake, a tiny frog and a lizard with dragon-like horns are among more than 150 new species confirmed by scientists last year in the ecologically diverse but threatened Mekong region, researchers said on Monday. Winding its way from the Tibetan plateau through the ...
Laos prepares for face-to-face EU FLEGT, VPA negotiations
The Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade technical working group on December 15 met in Vientiane to discuss finalised key parts of the draft timber definitions to be submitted to the European Union by the end of this month. The submission is crucial preparation for ...
Illegal Thai fishing hauls a possible threat to Woolworths sushi partner's supply
Thailand’s ‘ghost’ fishing fleet may have supplied contaminated seafood to Sushi Izu. Seafood caught by Thailand’s notorious ghost fishing fleet may have contaminated the supply chains of a sushi company operating in more than 165 Woolworths supermarkets. Guardian Australia can reveal that Woolworths and its fresh ...
When selling is more lucrative than protecting: Myanma timber enterprise and the deforestation crisis
For years, Myanmar’s state-owned timber giant has been subject to accusations of corruption and shadowy closed-door dealings. Environmental advocacy groups have long blamed Myanmar Timber Enterprise for operating its industry monopoly without transparency. On November 15, their allegations appeared to gain newfound teeth, substantiated by ...
Dire threat to famed Côn Đảo flora, fauna
The famous Côn Đảo Island’s ecosystem and its biodiversity is seriously threatened by overexploitation and low environmental awareness of visitors and locals. Concerned officials as well as residents are calling for strong protective measures that can prevent the slide into irrecoverable loss. “The commercial hunting ...
Mekong River Delta wastes 140,000 tons of fertilizer a year
The Agricultural Environment Institute estimates that the volume of fertilizer unnecessarily used in agricultural production in Mekong Delta is around 140,000 tons a year. Mai Van Trinh, head of the institute, said that the abuse of plant protection chemicals in cultivation is becoming more common ...
