Environment and natural resources
Southeast Asia may see rise in dengue fever cases as strong El Nino unfolds
Higher temperatures in Asia, including those during a strong El Niño cycle, can drive up the incidence of dengue fever, a group of international researchers has found. For the first time, researchers have been able to review the big picture of dengue epidemics on a continental ...
Ho Chi Minh City smog to hang for another month
The smog covering Ho Chi Minh City since early this month will continue until at least the end of November when Indonesia is expected to put out its forest fires, an expert has said. After lifting for a while, the thick haze is back over many ...
ASEAN chokes on haze crisis
ASEAN leaders must seek an opportunity from the worsening haze crisis to tackle the problem at its roots and show the way to sustainable development. The smoke haze and accompanying pollutants that have blanketed several countries in the region is primarily caused by the burning of forest ...
Mekong dams will wipe out fisheries, study says
Preliminary findings from a soon-to-be released report have reinforced dismal projections for the future of Cambodia’s fisheries if 11 planned mainstream hydropower dams are built on the Mekong River. Presented on 21 October at the Greater Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy in Phnom Penh, the ...
Food and Drug Administration to test drinking water, cooking oil
The Myanmar Food and Drug Administration is taking action against peddlers of dirty “purified” water and fake peanut oil. Officials said for the safety of the public the FDA will be testing products consumed daily, going ward by ward to take samples. “First, we will take ...
The strongest El Nino in decades is going to mess with everything
It has choked Singapore with smoke, triggered Pacific typhoons and left Vietnamese coffee growers staring nervously at dwindling reservoirs. In Africa, cocoa farmers are blaming it for bad harvests, and in the Americas, it has Argentines bracing for lower milk production and Californians believing that ...
Leaked WWF report: illegal logging in Laos 'a worst-case scenario'
Forests in Laos are disappearing at a ferocious rate under the impact of rampant illegal logging which accounts for 90% or more of the industry, with lucrative export markets in Vietnam and China. Keep reading ...
YCDC searches for more water as households run dry
Only 60 percent of Yangon’s water needs are being met, officials say. The Yangon City Development Committee is hunting for fresh sources, even as work proceeds to fix leaky pipes that lose half the water they are supposed to carry. The search for water security is part ...
Water crisis looms as short monsoon, El Nino hit southern reservoir
A large reservoir that supplies water for Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces has seen its water level falling rapidly, signalling a possible severe shortage for the whole region, experts said. “Low rainfall as an impact of El Nino has significantly lowered the water level ...
Plant maintenance to put Ho Chi Minh City out of water this weekend
Ho Chi Minh City utility Saigon Water Corporation has announced a suspension of supply to 15 districts as a major plant undergoes maintenance. Keep reading ...
