News
New protected forest areas revealed
At a workshop on 25 April, Environment Minister Say Sam Al revealed the five areas to be included within 900,000 hectares of new protected forest would include parts of Prey Lang, Krovanh Khang Tbong, Preah Rokar, Siem Pang Khang Lech and Vern Sai forests with further ...
Record 60-day rice sale blitz set to begin
Mr Suthep said he is certain there will be sufficient water reserves in the irrigation zone during the rainy season for the main rice crop. But the agency will need to assess whether the water collected will last for the second rice crop which follows ...
Gov't drought aid push underway
The Cambodian government on 25 April announced a range of assistance to help farmers affected by the worst drought the Kingdom has seen in 50 years. “The Ministry of Agriculture has researched rice and vegetables that are resistant to climate change,” said a ministry statement. “The ...
Three major rail projects put on stand-by
The delay in signing the Pink and Yellow Line contracts stems from problems encountered in the preparation and coordination stages as many agencies are involved, according to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand. The projects are part of the government’s ambitious 2015-2022 development plan to ...
Laos parliament approves development plans
The inaugural session of the National Assembly’s 8th Legislature ended on 22 April with the approval of the 8th five-year National Social Economic Development Plan for 2016-2020, the 10-year Strategy for 2016-2025, and the 15-year Vision for 2016-2030. The three-day session elected Mr Bounnhang Vorachit as President ...
Mekong urged to improve irrigation
Do Duc Dung, head of the Southern Irrigation Planning Institute, said the irrigation systems in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi regions are weak and canals need to be dredged and the weakness of the delta’s irrigation systems has limited the control of ...
MIP takes IFC loan to pump up container capacity
Myanmar Industrial Port is borrowing US$200 million from the International Finance Corporation to help it increase its handling capacity as rising trade puts pressure on the country’s ports. The IFC financing will help MIP in the first phase of its expansion plans, which together with efficiency ...
High-profile group opposes private gold mining and licence renewal
A group of high-profile academics and former politicians in Thailand have rallied opposition against the renewal of Akara Resources’ gold mining licence and the company’s plan to open a new gold mine, arguing that the gains from the new concession would not be worth the environmental ...
Port cargo traffic rises on swelling economy
“The significant growth is related to our strong economy, which is driving an increase in import and export activity,” said SAP director-general Lou Kim Chhun. The port in Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province received approximately 95,000 20-foot equivalent unit containers during the first quarter of 2016, ...
State of press freedom remains dire across much of region
An annual assessment of press freedom in 180 countries released by campaign group Reporters Without Borders reveals a mixed bag of progress and decline in the region. According to the Reporters Without Borders report, bloggers and citizen journalists in Vietnam are “the permanent targets of extremely ...
