Agriculture and fishing
Laos: New farming methods suited to climate change
Poverty and scarce food supply was just a fact of life for the people in Koutou village, Luang Namtha province, Laos. With most people relying on rice farming and livestock for their livelihood, there were few options for other income. Koutou is one of 13 villages ...
Thailand's vital rice belt drying up
Thailand’s vital rice belt is being battered by one of the worst droughts in living memory with the prospect of a dismal main harvest. Water levels in some of the major reservoirs are at their lowest levels in 20 years, prompting the ruling junta to call ...
Farmers welcome long-overdue rain
Long-awaited rain fell over four drought-struck provinces overnight and during the day, reviving withering rice crops but only slightly raising hopes of the upcountry regions coming out of the crisis. While rice farmers in Surin, Maha Sarakham and Phayao were grateful for rain replenishing their crops, ...
Heavy rain expected to boost rice growing
As Thailand braces for a drop in rice production owing to rainfall shortage because of the El Niño effect, officials say that Cambodia is less likely to be affected by the weather pattern as they expect rainfall to cover the Kingdom this week, encouraging the ...
Saving Laos from global warming
The fragile relationship between agriculture and climate in Laos is imperiled. From the riverine paddies to the limestone karst, Laos’ subsistence farmers—about 80 percent of the rural population—depend on getting the right amount of rain at the right time. But in recent years, changes in ...
Cambodia priced out of Filipino rice tender again
Cambodia has lost a 100,000-tonne Filipino rice bid to Vietnam, on account of a higher costs as compared to regional competitors, marking the fourth time the Kingdom has failed to win a rice tender issued by the Philippines. The Philippines National Food Authority last week awarded ...
Community opposition impeding consultations on controversial dam: Australian firm
An Australian company contracted to assess the potential environmental and social impact of the planned Mongton dam has responded to recent criticism of the consultation process, saying that interference with its data collection efforts could lead to “suboptimal outcomes for the affected communities.” The Snowy Mountains ...
Mekong fishing leading to erosion
Intensive shrimp aquaculture and destructive fishing practices have contributed to coastal erosion and reduced biodiversity in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Ben Tre, Vietnam, according to a community-based project carried out in the region. The project’s community eco-tourism model was implemented in Thanh Phong Commune in ...
Thai customs seize 511 pieces of elephant ivory destined for Laos
More than three tonnes of elephant ivory have been found at a Thai port stashed in a container shipped from Kenya, customs said on Monday, the second huge haul of tusks from Africa in less than a week. The discovery, which would be worth millions of ...
Jailed Myanmar fishermen arrive home from India
More than 120 Myanmar fishermen arrested by the Indian navy for illegally plying India’s waters were returned to Myanmar last week, a government official said. U Aung Kyaw, deputy director of the Department of Relief and Resettlement, said on 10 July that the return of the ...