Environment and natural resources
Private sector can help unlock Asia's decarbonized future
Much of the world is now waking up to the idea that economic growth can be decoupled from emissions growth. With China, Japan and India leading the way, the Group of 20 leading industrialized countries is now decarbonizing at 2.8% a year. This is the ...
The Mekong and the battle for the ‘Mother of Rivers’
For wildlife enthusiasts in the region, these are exciting times. A horned lizard and rainbow-headed snake were among 163 delightful new species documented last year by scientists alongside 10 endangered Irrawaddy dolphin calves. Fewer than 90 Irrawaddy dolphins exist on the planet.But all is not ...
Scourge of mass fish deaths strikes again
One morning at the end of April, Nguyễn Văn Phú, a resident in Nguyên Khê Commune, Hà Nội’s Đông Anh District, woke up shocked to find that the fish in Nguyên Khê Lagoon had died en mass.He suspected polluted water in the lagoon was the ...
Meet the activists risking life and limb to protect rivers
In late March of this year, an unusual group of activists gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia for a four-day conference to strategize around stopping destructive hydropower projects across the globe. Hailing from countries as diverse as Chile, Congo, Albania, Mongolia, China, Thailand, and Colombia, they had ...
Nepal burns more than 4,000 confiscated wildlife parts
On Monday, the Nepalese government set fire to more than 4,000 items of confiscated wildlife parts in an attempt to demonstrate zero tolerance for the illegal wildlife trade. The stockpile included parts from 48 species, including 67 tiger skins, 418 common leopard skins, 354 elephant ...
Former Vinaconex boss faces prosecution
The Ministry of Public Security’s Police Investigation Agency has prosecuted Phí Thái Bình, former chairman of the Vinaconex board of directors, for violating construction regulations and causing serious consequences.Bình, who is also former vice chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, was found to be responsible ...
Dầu Tiếng Reservoir sand mining suspended
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked the provinces of Tây Ninh, Bình Dương and Bình Phước to suspend sand mining operations at Dầu Tiếng Reservoir, following an order from the Government. The ministry told officials to adjust planning for construction sites and ...
Deep-sea fishing banned in Formosa spill area
Fishermen from the central provinces, which saw the Formosa spill, have been warned not to catch species living in the deepest levels of the ocean for 20 nautical miles offshore. Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình issued this advisory on Wednesday during a meeting with ...
PM tells committee to strengthen int’l climate change co-operatioន
The National Committee for Climate Change needs to enhance its international co-operation and learn from other countries’ experience to promote climate change response in Việt Nam, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said on May 18. At the committee’s eighth meeting in Hà Nội, the Ministry ...
ANZ distances itself from Cambodian partner
Australian financial institution ANZ has distanced itself from the Royal Group, its local partner in a Cambodian joint venture bank, following police reports linking the group to illegal logging activities. A report published by Cambodia’s National Police this week accused Royal Group, owned by prominent ...