Water

Satellite data show at least 27 new rare earth mines have opened across Laos since 2022, mostly in protected areas and many within the Mekong River Basin, raising transboundary pollution risks for Vietnam and the wider Mekong system. New data show a recent proliferation of rare ...

Cambodia and China have signed a $1.2 billion deal to finance an ambitious canal project that aims to boost trade efficiency by linking a branch of the Mekong River near Phnom Penh to a port on the Gulf of Thailand, the Cambodian government agency heading ...

Many households in Vientiane are struggling with water supply issues, including shortages and low water pressure. Residents are growing increasingly frustrated, as water disruptions continue despite repeated calls for conservation. On 5 March, the Water Supply Department issued an announcement urging residents to save water due to high ...

Despite experiencing systematic social, economic and cultural marginalization, women like Noon, Dao Prasuk and Pornpimol remain determined to assert their communities’ rights to existence and to protect rivershed commons for generations to come, contesting the widespread public assumptions that large-scale hydropower and water diversion infrastructure ...

A Chinese-backed canal in Cambodia is likely to put “fragile” ecosystems at risk, researchers in China and Britain have warned, calling for better mitigation efforts. The Funan Techo canal, a 180km (112-mile) project to link the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand, is a flagship project expected ...

As the Mekong River flows through Southeast Asia, it shapes the region’s life, culture, and landscape. But in 2024, the river’s familiar presence has taken a more daunting turn. Torrential rains fueled by Typhoon Yagi, combined with a relentless monsoon season, have unleashed severe flooding ...

PREK TAKEO, Cambodia (AP) — The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions in the six countries it traverses on its way from its headwaters to the sea, sustaining the world’s largest inland fishery and abundant rice paddies on Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Cambodia’s plan to build ...

In the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, communities in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province are taking stock of the toll wreaked by heavy rains and rising rivers. At least 33 people lost their lives in the country since mid-August amid hazardous conditions that devastated riverside homes, businesses and ...

NAKHON PHANOM, Thailand – Authorities in Nakhon Phanom are closely monitoring Typhoon Yagi, though the situation remains under control for now, September 8. Water levels in the Mekong River have been steadily decreasing, currently standing at 9.20 meters, approximately 3 meters below the critical threshold, allowing the ...

Cambodia has launched a controversial canal project to link the Mekong River to the sea. Work on the $1.7bn project kicked off on Monday. Phnom Penh hopes the canal will boost the country’s economy. However, concern over the impact on the region’s environment and foreign relations ...