Environment and natural resources

  China has lodged a diplomatic protest with Myanmar after a court in the southeast Asian nation sentenced 153 Chinese nationals to life imprisonment for illegal logging. China’s voracious demand for Myanmar’s raw materials has fuelled resentment in Myanmar towards its giant northern neighbor. Regions along Myanmar’s porous border with China have ...

Residents near the Xebangfay River between the two provinces of Khammuan and Savannakhet are still being spared from the flooding which has started since the river began overflowing on 21 July. A Xebangfay district official Mr Sisomphone Innoula told Vientiane Times that the four branches of ...

Protected areas and other biodiversity hotspots across Southeast Asia are increasingly under threat from expanding rubber plantations, with Cambodia at risk of losing more ecologically important land than any of its neighbours, a recent study reports. According to the study, if current trends continue, Cambodia stands ...

Inlay Lake is one of Myanmar’s natural beauties and a tourist draw. But the ecological situation of the lake is deteriorating at a dramatic rate due to the run-off from the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, deforestation and climate change. The lake is an important ...

Da Nang government, Vietnam, has threatened to shut down the factory of Coca-Cola if it is found to have violated environmental rules, according to media reports. Keep reading ...

Provincial authorities in Phongsaly, Laos, are cautioning banana growers along the Nam Ou River in an attempt to stop them illegally discarding disused plastic banana bunch covers. Director of the provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department, Mr Khamchanh Sitthilath told Vientiane Times on 14 July that many ...

Ho Chi Minh City has approved a plan to build a new road through Can Gio Mangrove Forest, a biosphere reserve recognized by UNESCO, in a bid to attract more tourists.  The road will be 17 meters wide and run 3.5 kilometers, which means 18,600 trees ...

An Irrawaddy dolphin carcass was found on a Rayong beach on 14 July. Keep reading ...

Vietnam’s Agriculture Minister Cao Duc Phat said yesterday that localities nationwide need to step up efforts to ensure sustainable aquaculture, especially of key products like shrimp and tra fish. Addressing a conference held in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bac Lieu to review two ...

Hearts of many locals in Udon Thani’s Prachaksinlapakhom district are heavy because of a pending project to launch mining operations in their hometown area.  They are worried about possible pollution and adverse impacts on their health. “To tell the truth, I don’t believe in the environmental impact assessment [EIA],” ...