News
Vietnam can reduce emissions and save $2.3 billion with changes in agriculture and land use
Through cost-saving practices for coffee, rice, maize, and livestock production, Vietnam can increase its Paris Agreement commitments, says a study that highlights climate action potential for agriculture in Southeast Asia. Looking toward 2020, as nations take stock of their actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under ...
Sean Mattson
Vietnam Culls 1.7 Million Pigs as Virus Spreads to New Areas
Vietnam culled more than 1.7 million pigs as African swine fever spread across the country, with officials warning the disease may penetrate sizable commercial farms next. About 5% of the nation’s pig population has been culled as the number of infected provinces and cities increased to ...
Mai Ngoc Chau
Toxic chemicals caused seaport fire
Highly flamable toxic chemicals that were not declared were found inside the burnt cargo at Laem Chabang Seaport in Chon Buri province, the Thailand Port Auth- ority disclosed. After the fire broke out onboard the South Korean ship KMTC Hongkong while docking at Laem Chabang Seaport ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
Could lack of access to data be the biggest threat to Myanmar's rivers?
While Myanmar struggled through decades of political and economic repression, the country’s river systems lay relatively untouched. But hand-in-hand with democratic reform has come a race to develop the country’s natural resources. As Myanmar opens up to the world of foreign investment, many new challenges ...
Thor Windham-Wright
Timber mischief in Vietnam
In the Southeast Asian region, loss of area under natural forests is largely driven by natural resources extraction and demand for more land for production of food and other commodities. Earlier in 2018, progress tracking of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals for Southeast Asia revealed ...
Sheith Khidhir
Cambodia puts circular economy in motion
Climate risks and demand by Cambodia’s garment customers for international standard waste compliance are inevitably pushing the Kingdom towards a circular economy. Global temperatures are expected to rise at a minimum of 1.5C beginning 2018, according to United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last ...
Sok Chan
SPECIAL REPORT: The “Spirit of Roaming” no longer roams at Moken community on Surin Island
Suriyan “Hook” Kla-thalae, a 36-year-old Moken born on Koh Surin, keeps dreaming that he’ll get his community’s boat, known as a kabang, back out on the Andaman Sea. But it remains anchored on shore on the island, which lies 60 kilometres off the Phang Nga coast, ...
Piyaporn Wongruang
82nd joint patrol on Mekong River concludes
The 82nd Mekong River joint patrol led by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand was concluded Friday afternoon at Guanlei Port in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Eight vessels and 150 law enforcement officials from the four countries participated in the mission, which covered 560 km in ...
Increasing ecosystem carbon is good for species, says new study
It is widely assumed that land uses that increase carbon in biomass and soil to mitigate climate change also benefit biodiversity. But that might not always be the case. Until recently, there was no clear picture on what the most likely carbon-boosting strategies, such as ...
Gloria Pallares
Warnings over new law to protect workers in Thai fishing industry
A new law to address abuses in Thailand’s multi-billion dollar fishing industry contains loopholes, labor rights campaigners said on Thursday, warning of difficulties in enforcement. The legislation published on Wednesday follows years of global scrutiny over abuse of Thai and migrant workers and mandates basic rights ...