Surface water
Rivers and lakes
Governor halts work on coal railway being built without permits in Indonesian Borneo
After coming under public scrutiny, Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran halted the construction of a railroad being built to transport coal through forested areas of the province. The governor’s decision followed a May 21 report by Mongabay’s Indonesian sister site, which documented that the developers ...
The Mekong and the battle for the ‘Mother of Rivers’
For wildlife enthusiasts in the region, these are exciting times. A horned lizard and rainbow-headed snake were among 163 delightful new species documented last year by scientists alongside 10 endangered Irrawaddy dolphin calves. Fewer than 90 Irrawaddy dolphins exist on the planet.But all is not ...
Meet the activists risking life and limb to protect rivers
In late March of this year, an unusual group of activists gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia for a four-day conference to strategize around stopping destructive hydropower projects across the globe. Hailing from countries as diverse as Chile, Congo, Albania, Mongolia, China, Thailand, and Colombia, they had ...
Police link Kith Meng to illegal wood racket
The National Police on May 16 published a brief but scathing report on business mogul Kith Meng, citing anonymous sources who accuse his company of using its license to log the reservoir of the nearly completed Lower Sesan 2 hydropower dam to launder timber. Mr. ...
Outrage over Mekong EIA process
Local activists and academics are angry that Chinese officials and companies working on the Mekong River Navigation Channel Improvement Project will be the decision maker on an Environmental Impact Assessment of the project. The TEAM Group of Companies, a Thai consultancy hired by the Chinese state-owned company, met ...
Calls to halt ‘reforestation’ plan
Fourteen community representatives speaking for thousands of families on May 9 petitioned the South Korean Embassy, Environment Ministry and Forestry Administration to halt the expansion of a controversial “reforestation” project by a Korean company situated between the protected Prey Lang forest and Mekong River. Their petition ...
Vietnam struggles to find solutions to prevent landslides
Resources have been applied to prevent landslides in the Mekong Delta, but the problem has proven to be difficult to solve. In recent years, the riverbank erosion and coastal landslides have been taking away 500 hectares of land in the Mekong Delta every year, according to ...
An Giang seeks emergency funds from Govt to deal with landslide aftermath
The An Giang Province People’s Committee has asked the Government for VNĐ123 billion (US$5.4 million) worth of emergency aid to deal with the aftermath of the severe landslide along the Vàm Nao River two weeks ago. The money is needed for filling a crater in ...
What is causing the death of rivers?
Rapid population increase and urbanization have put pressure on waterways in the country. The rivers in Vinh Phuc province have turned black as they have been receiving domestic waste water and waste water from craft villages, garbage and dead animals for many years. The Phan River, originating ...
Mekong River survey begins despite opposition
Survey work on the Mekong River channel project officially started on April 19 in Chiang Rai, and field survey by a Chinese company is expected to begin tomorrow amid strong opposition by environmentalists. The Marine Department revealed on April 19 that China’s CCCC Second Habor Consultant Co ...
