Environment and natural resources
Illegal wildlife trade remains serious threat as demand for rare-animal pets increases
Illegal trade in wildlife was the most serious threat that rare animals in Thailand faced this year and the issue is expected to remain a major concern in the upcoming year, the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and experts have said. News about ...
Hemp growing initially to be limited to govt
Only government agencies will be able to seek permission to grow, sell and possess hemp – which is now classified as a type of narcotic – during the first phase of an initiative to legalise cultivation of the plant. Individuals and private entities will be ...
PM's order has positive results for Lao forests
Prime Minister’s Order No. 15 has successfully curbed harmful practices in the forestry sector and timber industry, while restoring public trust in the Party and government. This message was delivered at an annual meeting in Vientiane this week to review past achievements and discuss the ...
Stricter environment rules and fiercer competition threaten small paper firms
Small paper producers with an annual capacity of 10,000-20,000 tons will face more difficulties in 2018 due to stricter regulations on wastewater treatment and harsher competition from big companies, heard a meeting in HCMC last week. Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association general secretary Vu Ngoc ...
LMC can be used as example for China to handle trans-boundary river disputes
With persistent concerns expressed by India about China’s exploitation of the Yarlung Zangbo River, upstream from the Brahmaputra River in India, officials and scholars should study the possibility of borrowing on the experience of the Lancang-Mekong cooperation mechanism to resolve disputes along trans-boundary rivers. The ...
Laos urges infrastructure development in Mekong Basin countries
Laos has suggested that cooperation between the Mekong Basin countries and China focus on the development of infrastructure for improved connectivity and to bolster commercial production. The proposal was made by the Lao delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith at the ...
Int'l community supports Vietnam’s climate change response
Vietnam is one of the countries worst hit by climate change. In 2016, the national climate change strategy has received strong support from the international community. The Global Climate Index indicates that Vietnam ranks 5th among countries most affected by natural disasters, which kill hundreds of ...
Climate change triggers new diseases in Vietnam
Scientists have found connections between climate change and the appearance of new diseases, especially vector borne diseases, including dengue fever and malaria. Vietnam is among five countries in the world to suffer the most from climate change. According to the Central Steering Committee on Fighting and ...
Pheapimex ties ‘cause for concern’
Alex Corporation, the firm behind a proposal for an ambitious Mondulkiri mining project, appears to be ultimately owned by ruling party Senator Lao Meng Khin and his wife, Choeung Sopheap, the Post has discovered, a scenario rights groups say should give cause for concern. The ...
Laos’ Xekaman 3 dam break shuts off power to Vietnam
A break in a critical waterway shut down a hydro-electric dam in southern Laos and raised questions about the quality of construction at the facility that sends most of the power it generates to Vietnam. While officials said the Dec. 16 break in the Xekaman ...
