Environment and natural resources

Warning of ecological disaster over Malaysia forest plantations

When Sia Beng Hok goes to check his rubber and batai (Moluccan albizia) trees, he makes sure he has a rifle on the backseat of his four-wheel drive. His plantations – all 5,000 hectares (19sq miles) of them – sit on forest reserve land in Kelantan ...

Yao-Hua Law

Mangroves in the Mekong Delta: growing opportunities or going under?

The Mekong Delta is home to the largest expanse of mangroves in Viet Nam but is also highly vulnerable to the twin effects of the climate crisis and coastal development, given its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City. The Delta is facing a high risk of ...

PHAM THU THUY

Baby boom: the endangered wildlife revival at Cambodia's Angkor Wat

The melodic songs from families of endangered monkeys ring out over the jungle near Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple complex — a sign of ecological rejuvenation decades after hunting decimated wildlife at the site. The first pair of rare pileated gibbons were released in 2013 as part ...

Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Explainer: What is ecocide?

What is ecocide? In short, ecocide refers to the mass destruction of ecosystems. Formally, it is defined as “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts”. ...

Kate Yeo

Developing river economy in Mekong Delta should be focused: Experts

According to experts, the Mekong Delta has a dense network of rivers, creeks, and canals, with a length of about 26,550 km of natural rivers; thereby, it is convenient for the development of waterway traffic and river economy. On August 1, the Academy of Politics Region IV in ...

The Buddhist monks blessing trees to prevent deforestation

Wrapped in orange robes, occasionally with ornaments nestled into the roots and incense burning at the foot, such trees seen across Thailand could be confused for an art installation. Instead, their decoration is a signifier that the trees have been blessed by a Buddhist monk ...

Rebecca L. Root

‘Hungry river’ phenomenon to blame for severe erosion of Mekong River banks in Laos

Upstream dams and sand mining have caused significant erosion along the Mekong River in western Laos, according to experts, devastating riparian communities in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation with high waters and powerful currents. But residents of those communities say they believe that other issues are to ...

RFA Lao; Translated by Max Avary for RFA Lao. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Thailand tiger rescues hold no guarantee of safety

Rambo paced anxious circles in his cage as it became clear he was subject to special attention. The Bengal tiger was about to be moved from the shuttered Phuket Zoo to a new home: a rescue centre in central Thailand.  As the zoo closed, its 11 ...

WANPEN PAJAI

Rains quell fire risk around Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, but the future looks fiery

The roots of the forests surrounding Cambodia’s Tonle Sap lake spend half the year submerged in water. But in the past five years, they’ve been catching fire in the arid heat of the dry season. The government has rolled out plans to respond to these ...

Danielle Keeton-Olsen

Tonle Sap, Mekong water levels continue to rise amid flood warnings

The water levels of the Mekong and Tonle Sap has risen and is likely to continue to rise after more than a month of persistent rainfall, raising flood alerts in various parts of the country. Chan Yutha, Spokesman and Secretary of State of the Ministry of ...

Khmer Times

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