Economy and industry
Civil society groups to boycott Prior Consultation on new Mekong dam
Save the Mekong, a coalition of non-governmental organizations, community-based groups and concerned citizens within the Mekong region, issued a statement on Friday announcing their intention to boycott the Mekong River Commission’s (MRC’s) Prior Consultation for the proposed Pak Lay dam. Pak Lay is the fourth dam planned ...
CIMB becomes first bank from Asean to join United Nations' initiative for responsible banking
CIMB Group Holdings has become a member of the United Nations’ (UN) Environment Programme Finance Initiative Principles for Responsible Banking (UNEP-FI), making it the only banking group in Asean to be a founding member of the sustainable initiative. Keep reading ...
A blockchain boost for the airline industry
Blockchain refers to a shared, public ledger of records or transactions that is open to inspection by every participant while not being subject to any form of central control. It is these very capabilities that align particularly well with the characteristics of the airline industry, according ...
Lao government, World Bank assess renewable energy development in southern river basin
The Lao government and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, are conducting a basin-wide Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) of renewable energy development in southern Laos’ Xekong River Basin. According to local online newspaper Vientiane Times on Sunday, it is the ...
Dawbon Bridge linking four townships in Yangon opens
The new Dawbon Bridge that links four townships in Yangon – Dawbon, Thaketa, Pazundaung and Mingalar Taung Nyunt – opened on Saturday, which was also Japan-Myanmar Friendship Day. Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said the opening of the bridge would lead to faster development ...
Demand for affordable apartments on the rise Read
The affordable apartment segment will be the star of the property market in the coming years, but its supply is increasingly scarce while the demand for this type of apartment remains high, according to an analysis by property services firm CBRE Việt Nam. Keep reading ...
Dams and sand mining threaten integrity of lower Mekong
At more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles), the Mekong is Southeast Asia’s longest river. It runs through six countries, providing food and income for more than 70 million people. But the integrity of the river, and therefore of the livelihood of the people who depend on ...
Vietnam goes solar
With electricity demand in Vietnam growing 12 percent annually, the Vietnamese government has set a goal to generate 265 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity by 2020 and 570 billion kWh of electricity by 2030. This is to meet the surging demand for power resulting from ...
Airbnb surges in Mekong nations
Five million travellers stayed at Airbnb accommodation in the Greater Mekong region in 2017, generating income of US$1.67 billion (55 billion baht). Keep reading ...
Living in fear along the Mekong
The collapse of a dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydropower project in Laos was tragic. Immediate assessments say that 39 people died, many suffered injuries and thousands were left homeless, with their means of income lost for the foreseeable future. Beyond these numbers, ...
