Infrastructure
Electricity infrastructure
Japan grant for electricity access
The Japanese government announced on August 31 that it would provide almost $9 million to improve electricity access in the Kingdom that would enable Cambodians to enjoy better quality electricity services. Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Phnom Penh, Foreign Minister ...
Vietnam considers buying electricity from Laos to ease reliance on China
Vietnam may import electricity from Laos to minimize the risks from relying on Chinese imports and to offset supply shortages caused by cutting off power sources which pollute the environment. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade to submit ...
Egat insists on going ahead with Thepa plant
Construction of the Thepa coal-fired power plant is set to begin in the second quarter of next year, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand said, even though many locals have refused to sell their land despite facing threats. Egat has so far insisted that it will ...
Myanmar transportation, infrastructure weakest in Southeast Asia: World Bank
Myanmar has the weakest transportation and infrastructure in Southeast Asia, according to a report by the World Bank Group. Myanmar ranked 137 among 160 countries in the transportation index in 2014, giving it the lowest position among Southeast Asian countries. Moreover, only 33 per cent of households ...
Myanmar told to exploit more solar, wind resources
Myanmar is moving to exploit solar and wind energy, but experts said such attempts must be stepped up to smoothen the country’s development. Soe Soe Ohn, director of the national electrification project at the Rural Development Department, said solar energy offered high potential particularly in rural ...
Myanmar green energy sector faces hurdles
Myanmar’s goal of achieving a 100 per cent electrification rate by 2030, with 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources, is achievable but several hurdles need to be tackled first, energy experts have said. At the Myanmar Green Energy Summit 2016 last week, panellists agreed ...
New Mekong dams to affect millions in Vietnam
Building more dams along the Mekong River will destroy the livelihoods of millions of people, according to a report commissioned by the Vietnamese government. It also says plans to construct new dams will damage crops with salt water intrusion, particularly in the south where the Mekong ...
Why 'partnerships for sustainable development' counts as an essential sustainable development goal
Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the 17th is the odd one out. As “Partnerships for the Goals”, it is a goal that helps you get to the other 16 goals. For most businesses committed to sustainable development, however, this 17th goal may be the ...
Rough waters of Lower Sesan II dam
According to the Vietnam River Network, Lower Sesan II dam in Cambodia will impact both environmental and social aspects. Impacts will be felt not only around the project site but also from the upstream Sesan River to downstream at the Sekong River, Tonle Sap, Vietnam ...
Myitsone and the failure of China’s ‘anti-ethno-politics’ approach
Northern Myanmar’s Myitsone mega-project failed because its Chinese proponents systematically dismissed Kachin and Burmese nationalism. The Chinese hydropower developers’ strategy was what I call “anti-ethno-politics”: when the state, NGOs, businesses, or other actors try to depoliticise sensitive questions about how their own activities clash with ...