Extractive industries
Mining
The covert industry that is destroying the world’s rivers
Good sand is surprisingly hard to find, and some of the best — the kind used to make glass, concrete and even iPhones — is usually found only in riverbeds and along coasts. Now researchers are discovering that a global boom in sand mining is ...
The Mekong Delta: an unsettling portrait of coastal collapse
Some environmental disasters present themselves over years; others come with a bang — or a splash. The latter happened one day in August, when residents of Binh My, a commune in Vietnam’s lush Mekong Delta, heard a loud cracking sound. They went outside to watch ...
John Reed
Asia’s new gold: Sand mining threatens life on the Mekong
It’s an essential component of glass, asphalt and concrete. Sand is the stuff of which Asia’s growing megacities are made. In Cambodia, sand is being dredged from the Mekong River at an alarming rate, with disastrous results for local residents. Keep watching ...
China’s potash demand stirs resistance in rural Thailand
The future of a potash mine planned for north-eastern Thailand is mired in uncertainty as villagers put up fierce opposition, fuelled by concerns about their livelihoods, health and environment. Last year a group led by local women blocked access to exploratory drilling sites in the Wanon ...
Yodsapon Kerdviboon, Visarut Sankham
Illegal gold mining pollutes Đắkrông River
Although the Thừa Thiên-Huế Province People’s Committee announced it had cracked down on illegal gold mining along the upper part of the Đắkrông River in A Lưới District, the river water is still polluted, affecting people living downstream. Lao động (Labour) newspaper on Wednesday reported that gold ...
Ministry asked about Mekong plan
A member of the Supreme Consultation Forum told The Post on Thursday that he had questioned the Ministry of Mines and Energy over its position regarding a proposed project to develop a sizeable stretch of the Mekong River. Pich Sros, president of the Cambodian Youth Party, ...
Ry Sochan
Experienced team sustainably developing Lao mining
Entrepreneurs and business owners in Laos are now able to utilise the vast expertise of Ortus Mining Laos to develop mining projects. Ortus Mining Laos, a subsidiary of Ortus Mining Capital, told Vientiane Times recently that they are focused on the development of mineral concessions in ...
Mining in the Mekong: Myanmar to outperform, Thailand to underperform
There is big opportunity, and and also big risk in the Mekong mining sector, according to recently published report. Fitch Solutions Macro Research’s industry analysis maintains the Mekong region will remain underdeveloped and dominated by domestic players in the coming years as foreign investment flows ...
Dramatic Photos Show How Sand Mining Threatens a Way of Life in Southeast Asia
Sand is a key ingredient in concrete, the essential building material of Vietnam’s fast-growing cities. Demand for it is surging—and that is wreaking havoc not only on Vietnam’s rivers, but also on the all-important Mekong Delta. Keep reading ...
Vince Beiser
Mining exploration set for region home to endangered river dolphins
Australian mining firm Medusa Mining has announced plans to begin exploration for gold, copper and oil in Kratie province’s Prek Kampi commune, about 35 kilometres west of a stretch of the Mekong River that is home to endangered river dolphins.Keep reading ...
Robin Spiess & Brendan O’Byrne