Environment and natural resources

The Mekong keeps on yielding species new to science

The Mekong in Southeast Asia is one of the world’s mightiest rivers and scientists are still learning about its stunning biodiversity. In fact, hardly a week seems to go by without new discoveries along the river. In a series of finds, according to a report by the World ...

Daniel T Cross

Oil spill threatens corals in eastern Thailand

Authorities are rushing to prevent an oil spill in eastern Thailand from damaging fragile corals, after officials said on Sunday (Jan 30) the leak that began last week was drifting towards more coastal areas. Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Varawut Silpa-archa said it was ...

Reuters/vc

Data exposes flaws in Mekong Delta resilience plans

For generations, Vietnamese communities have used the ample water resources and fertile soil of the Mekong Delta to feed the nation. Fuelled by the Mekong’s constant supply of rich sediment, the fisheries and paddy fields of Vietnam’s southernmost region have long been the bedrock of Vietnam’s ...

Nhin Tan Thuan

In Search of Forest: How Cambodia's Protected "Flooded Forests" All but Disappeared

Long Sokha was technically farming in a flooded forest, but there was no hint of that on a recent, sun-soaked afternoon. The fields of the plot in Kampong Leng district of Kampong Chhnang province looked neat and orderly, planted with rows of rice plants soaking in ...

Andrew Haffner and Mao Sreypich

Prey Lang, Prey Preah Roka Monitors Suppressed While Tree Cover Vanishes: Report

Forest watchers in 2020 filed 90 percent fewer reports of illegal logging amid officials’ threats against community patrols, according to an international research report, as one advocate said young people were refraining from joining patrols out of fear of repercussions. Using a combination of satellite data ...

Danielle Keeton-Olsen

Ghostly monkey, succulent bamboo among new species in Mekong

A monkey with ghostly white circles around its eyes is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund’s latest update on the greater Mekong region. The conservation group’s report, released Wednesday, highlights the need to protect the rich biodiversity and habitats in the region, which ...

ELAINE KURTENBACH

Rhino horns pierce a wall between crime and affluence in Vietnam

A suspicious package listed as textiles arrived at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport in July 2019. For fabric, the parcel was heavy, weighing in at 126.5 kilograms (278.8 pounds). Customs officials flagged the goods. On inspection, police found 55 rhino horns encased in plaster. An investigation ...

GOVI SNELL

Mekong Countries Urged to Take Action as River Experiences Three Years of Low Flows

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat has renewed its call for the six Mekong countries to urgently address regional low flows, water fluctuations and drought as the Lower Mekong River experiences record low flows for the third consecutive year. During the last three years, flows in ...

Latsamy Phonevilay

MRC says bold actions needed to address low Mekong flows

China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam have all been urged to take steps to address regional low flows, water fluctuations and drought as the Lower Mekong River experiences record low flows for the third consecutive year. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat has said that ...

Building Resilience across Southeast Asia

Climate change and myths about natural disasters Because we are powerless to prevent natural disasters from occurring, catastrophes become extraordinary experiences that must be learned, understood, and lived with as a normal part of daily life. When calamities strike, there is a chance of injury, death, crop ...

Wanwalee Inpin

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