Environment and natural resources
Women’s rights and river protection
Usually at this time of year during the dry season in northern Thailand, the Mekong River recedes, and sand and pebble beaches appear. Covering the pebbles, through the clear and shallow water, one can see the pale green kai, a river weed of the Mekong. This ...
Some 331 species are endangered in Myanmar
More than 5,000 species are endangered in Asia, around 800 in the Greater Mekong region alone. Plants and wildlife are used to produce traditional medicines, clothes and accessories. Hunting and poaching are practiced in about 70 pe cent of sanctuaries. In Southeast Asia and the ...
Governing the Ayeyarwady
THE CONTINUING conundrum over Myitsone, concern among farmers over river bank erosion in the dry zone and the delta and reports of declining riverine resources in Sagaing Region all indicate the need for coherent and coordinated governance of the Ayeyarwady River. The decision by President ...
EU study boost fight against illegal wildlife trade in Mekong region
The European Union has launched an intensive study about the illegal wildlife trade in the Greater Mekong Region and its threat to biodiversity. The report, entitled “Larger than Tigers”, hopes to encourage the Greater Mekong countries, which include Myanmar, to intensify efforts against the illegal wildlife ...
Are We Seeing the Mekong River's 'Last Days'?
In the introduction to his new book, Brian Eyler cautions that “the reader should not get the impression from the book’s title that the Mekong River is in its death throes.” Yet 320 pages later, he signs off with a warning: “Unless we begin today ...
Mekong delta faces severe salinization
Early March, gradual saltwater intrusion in coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta is threatening to the primary production system and daily activities. Thousands of inhabitants in Ben Tre and Kien Giang are suffering from scarcity of safe drinking water and daily activities. Keep reading ...
Laos builds more dams, scientists worry about Mekong’s ecosystem
Instead of requesting additional data used in the building of Pak Lay hydroelectric dam in Laos, Dr Le Anh Tuan, a Mekong River expert and deputy head of the Institute for Climate Change Research at Can Tho University, believes that it would be better to ...
The Mekong: troubled waters in autocratic lands
For the Mekong countries, including Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, 2018 was a big year both domestically and regionally. Key developments from last year will inevitably continue to shape the politics of the region in 2019. In terms of domestic affairs, the most worrying ...
Thailand, Laos launch forest fire prevention campaign
Thailand and Laos have launched an annual campaign to prevent and address forest fire between both countries. The Governor of Chiang Rai, Prachon Prachsakul, welcomed a delegation of 30 people from Laos during the launch at Phu Chi Fa Forest Park in the northern province of ...
Hungarian model for water management adopted for Mekong River
Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya revealed he has visited Hungary and discussed the water management cooperation with the Hungarian government which has agreed to develop five joint projects, including international river management on Danube and Mekong river basins, the management of sediments in rivers, flooding, ...
