Environment and natural resources
China hydropower having major impact along Mekong River: study
Hydropower facilities along the upper reaches of the Lancang, which becomes the Mekong River as it flows out of China, have led to major river-flow changes affecting Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, according to a study from Finland’s Aalto University. The study found river-flow ...
Villagers demand investigation into gold mines
Mandalay farmers have staged a sit-in for the past four days in protest of gold mines they claim have encroached on their land. The Wet Tae village residents are demanding the government suspend the mining activities until the conclusion of an investigation. They also called for ...
Australian charity to send Northern Territory cattle to Cambodian families
An Australian charity has bought 150 Brahman breeders from a Northern Territory Government research farm to send to Cambodia. Cows for Cambodia loans Cambodian families pregnant cows to look after until they have a calf, which the family keeps as payment. The Northern Territory cattle, ...
282 poor air quality days in capital in 2016
Dust concentration in the air, both in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City, was several times higher in 2016 than the levels recommended by the World Health Organization, endangering resident’s health. In Hà Nội, the dust concentration reached up to 50,5 mg per cubic ...
Private capital investments in conservation have taken off since 2013
Over the past decade, banks, fund managers, and others funneled more than $8 billion into investments aimed at delivering measurable environmental benefits as much as financial returns, according to a new report prepared by the NGO Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace initiative. The findings of the ...
The Bird’s eye view: what endangered birds tell us about the risks of Mekong development
The Thai government started 2017 announcing another major commitment to transportation expansion: US$25 billion to finance futuristic high-speed trains, super highways and expanded sea and airports. Far less glitzy but immediately controversial, however, was one of its final transportation acts of 2016: preparing to restart, after ...
Capital hoteliers address empty rooms
A lack of tourist attractions combined with overly-optimistic developers has left around 80 percent of Nay Pyi Taw hotel rooms empty on any given day. But the chair of a local tourism industry body believes better marketing can help the city improve its visitor numbers. U ...
New compensation regulations
Aquaculture farmers directly affected by natural disasters and epidemics will receive compensation totalling as much as US$2,600 per hectare, according to Decree No 2 issued by the Government last week. The decree, to take effect from February 25, will regulate compensation forms and levels to help farmers ...
Out-of-action irrigation may cut crop yields
Thousands of hectares of farmland are expected to be affected by a lack of irrigation this dry season as provinces are suffering funding shortages for the repair of irrigation systems. This year there are as many as 453 irrigation systems that require repair with the ...
Indonesian government challenges another green group over freedom of information request
The Indonesian government is going to the Supreme Court over an NGO’s freedom of information request for detailed maps of land on which oil palm companies have been licensed to operate in Kalimantan, the country’s portion of Borneo island. Civil society groups have tried for ...
