News
China's Xi launches $232 mln biodiversity protection fund for developing countries
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the launch of a 1.5 billion yuan ($232.47 million) fund on Tuesday to support biodiversity protection in developing countries, as talks continue on a new post-2020 global pact to tackle species loss. Xi was virtually addressing the COP15 biodiversity summit in ...
David Stanway; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan
Simulated Vietnam rice fields produce rice alternatives in Wagga Wagga
A research project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), through Charles Sturt University, has produced highly durable and sustainable food alternatives to rice by simulating international climates in a glasshouse in Wagga Wagga. The project ‘Farmer’s options for crops under saline conditions in ...
Alexandra Cooper
New reports highlight impacts of human and environmental incursions in Mekong
Overfishing and habitat degradation caused by rapid population growth, infrastructure development, and climate change are stressing the Lower Mekong Basin’s fisheries while changes in the Basin’s aquatic ecosystems are impacting social conditions, reports Laotian Times. This was discussed in two reports released today by the Mekong River ...
The Mekong River’s Dam Problem
The Mekong River stretches through 6 countries and sustains the lives of millions of people – but the river is under threat, experiencing record drought in recent years. Environmentalists believe huge hydropower dams, many built by China, are to blame. We speak with Thai activist ...
Rising river sparks Phnom Penh evacuations
People in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district were evacuated on Monday from their houses to temporary shelters on the dike of Prampi Makara Dam until the floods recede. Sak Sampov commune chief Tith Sam On yesterday told Khmer Times that many families can stay on first floor of their ...
Chhun Sunly
Act now to save Mekong
Last week, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) released two reports which once again highlighted the existential threats to the Mekong River. Social impact monitoring and vulnerability assessment 2018: Report on 2018 baseline survey of the Lower Mekong mainstream and floodplain areas Status and trends of fish abundance ...
EDITORIAL
New Reports Point to Dams 'Stressing' Cambodia's Mekong River Fisheries
Kong Kim, a fisherman in Cambodia’s northeast, is worried about the next few years. “I am concerned that there will be no fish in the future,” the 62-year-old told VOA Khmer earlier this week. “Fish are now less and less.” Once he could fish the Mekong River ...
Sun Narin
Thailand inmates are taking green chiretta to fight mild COVID – here’s what we know about this herbal drug
The news that inmates in Thailand are being handed capsules of a herbal medicine called green chiretta (Andrographis paniculata) to treat asymptomatic and mild COVID is unlikely to come as a surprise to the average Thai citizen. In Thailand, healthcare professionals and the public alike are familiar with ...
Jose Prieto Garcia
The changing face of Cambodian leadership
Eight years since ascending into a leadership position with the most active human rights organisation in Cambodia, Chak Sopheap has never forgotten a debate she had with herself about whether she should accept the promotion. The story of a young, female leader would be an inspiration ...
NASA DIP
Myanmar’s hidden hunger
Khin, a 59-year-old rice farmer, faced a distressing choice at the height of Myanmar’s monsoon season three months ago: sell a cow, a prized asset for agricultural households, or go hungry. She sold the animal for half its value. The proceeds went to buy food for ...
Thin Lei Win