News
Thailand turns to mangrove carbon credits despite scepticism
Watchara Kumpai, 68, spends most of his time in boots, stomping through coastal mangrove forests in southern Thailand. He used to work in the tin mining and logging industries that contributed to mangrove loss, until all concessions in mangrove areas were cancelled in 1991. Today, Watchara is dedicated ...
Nicha Wachpanich, Dialogue Earth
From the Riverbanks of the Salween and Mekong to the Halls of Justice: Women Challenging Mainstream Assumptions and Asserting Collective Rights
Despite experiencing systematic social, economic and cultural marginalization, women like Noon, Dao Prasuk and Pornpimol remain determined to assert their communities’ rights to existence and to protect rivershed commons for generations to come, contesting the widespread public assumptions that large-scale hydropower and water diversion infrastructure ...
Pai Deetes, Phairin Sohsai and Tanya L. Roberts Davis/ IR
Infrastructure development boosts economy in Vietnam's Mekong Delta
Thanks to the national government’s investment in infrastructure in the Mekong Delta, localities in the region have achieved outstanding results in economic development over the past few years, returning to the growth trajectory seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021-25, the economy of the Mekong Delta ...
Thanh Ha - An Long - Mau Truong - Le Dan / Tuoi Tre News
Cambodia’s China-backed canal on Mekong may threaten ‘fragile ecosystems’
A Chinese-backed canal in Cambodia is likely to put “fragile” ecosystems at risk, researchers in China and Britain have warned, calling for better mitigation efforts. The Funan Techo canal, a 180km (112-mile) project to link the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand, is a flagship project expected ...
Leopold Chen
Mekong Delta braces for saltwater intrusion up rivers as dry season begins
HO CHI MINH – Authorities in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta are taking proactive measures to prevent saltwater intrusion up rivers during the upcoming dry season that will last until April. The delta, Việt Nam’s largest producer of rice, fruits and seafood, typically experiences saltwater intrusion from ...
Viet Nam News
AI forecasts: Can Southeast Asia rise above the Mekong floods?
As the Mekong River flows through Southeast Asia, it shapes the region’s life, culture, and landscape. But in 2024, the river’s familiar presence has taken a more daunting turn. Torrential rains fueled by Typhoon Yagi, combined with a relentless monsoon season, have unleashed severe flooding ...
Anoulak Kittikhoun, the CEO of the Mekong River Commission Secretariat
IMF Forecasts 6.1% Growth for Vietnam in 2024 Despite Ongoing Challenges
The IMF projects Vietnam’s GDP growth at 6.1% for 2024, supported by external demand and government policies, despite risks in exports and the real estate sector. In its recent September report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) significantly upgraded its 2024 GDP growth forecast for Vietnam to ...
ASEAN Briefing
Google invests 36 billion baht to boost Thai cloud and AI services
Google committed to a significant investment of 36 billion baht to expand its cloud infrastructure and data centres in Bangkok and Chon Buri, announced on Monday, September 30. Ruth Porat, the President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, highlighted that this expansion aims to meet the growing demand for cloud services in ...
Puntid Tantivangphaisal
Cambodian environment minister bans logging at tycoon’s Cardamoms hydropower project
PHNOM PENH — In a rare move to combat forest crimes, Cambodian Environment Minister Eang Sophalleth on Sept. 2 banned all forest clearance at the site of a dam project in the country’s southwest. The ban came after multiple incidents of illegal logging inside a protected area ...
Gerald Flynn, Vutha Srey
Cambodia hopes a new canal will boost trade. But it risks harming the Mekong that feeds millions
PREK TAKEO, Cambodia (AP) — The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions in the six countries it traverses on its way from its headwaters to the sea, sustaining the world’s largest inland fishery and abundant rice paddies on Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Cambodia’s plan to build ...
ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL