Environment and natural resources

Rivers worldwide are polluted with antibiotics that exceed environmental safety thresholds by up to 300 times, according to research unveiled at a conference Monday. Scientists found one or more common antibiotics in two-thirds of 711 samples taken from rivers in 72 countries, they told a meeting ...

Myanmar becomes a country which can conserve the highest number of the rare red-crowned cranes in South East Asia, said Thet Zaw Naing of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) (Myanmar Program). Since 2016, the Forest Department has been working on the conservation and research of the ...

Through cost-saving practices for coffee, rice, maize, and livestock production, Vietnam can increase its Paris Agreement commitments, says a study that highlights climate action potential for agriculture in Southeast Asia.  Looking toward 2020, as nations take stock of their actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under ...

While Myanmar struggled through decades of political and economic repression, the country’s river systems lay relatively untouched. But hand-in-hand with democratic reform has come a race to develop the country’s natural resources. As Myanmar opens up to the world of foreign investment, many new challenges ...

In the Southeast Asian region, loss of area under natural forests is largely driven by natural resources extraction and demand for more land for production of food and other commodities. Earlier in 2018, progress tracking of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals for Southeast Asia revealed ...

Climate risks and demand by Cambodia’s garment customers for international standard waste compliance are inevitably pushing the Kingdom towards a circular economy. Global temperatures are expected to rise at a minimum of 1.5C beginning 2018, according to United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last ...

It is widely assumed that land uses that increase carbon in biomass and soil to mitigate climate change also benefit biodiversity. But that might not always be the case. Until recently, there was no clear picture on what the most likely carbon-boosting strategies, such as ...

The 7th Mekong River Commission (MRC) Regional Stakeholder Forum was held in Lao capital Vientiane over Monday and Tuesday, with participants discussing urgent issues facing the Mekong region, the Secretariat of the MRC has said. Attending the two-day event were 180 representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, ...

Mr. Niwat Roykaew, founder of the Rak Chiang Khong Group in northern Thailand, has shared a letter he received on behalf of the Network of Thai People in Eight Mekong Provinces from Mr. Don Pramudwinai, the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs, that confirms media reports in March ...

As Myanmar develops and urbanises, buildings, roads and bridges that meet international standards alone will not do. It is also important to systematically grow and preserve trees and green spaces in the city. The example of modern buildings together with parks is a popular trend in developed ...