Environment and land
Time’s running out for the Mekong giant catfish
Vietnamese restaurants are openly violating the law to include a critically endangered giant catfish on their menus. An expose by Rachel Nuwer in the National Geographic documents the precarious situation that the Mekong River’s giant catfish faces as a result of willful violations by both ...
Giant river prawns recover in Mekong Delta after long decline
After a long period of decline, the last two years have seen an increase in output of giant river prawns in the Mekong Delta. Giant river prawns are resilient to disease, easy to raise, and require little capital. They also offer high and stable profitability ...
Mekong Delta faces a bleaker future than people realize
A combination of negative developments has put at serious risk the viability of Vietnam’s rice bowl as also the source of most of its seafood exports. Keep reading ...
Transboundary EIAs could reduce conflict over river projects
In the Mekong river basin, massive infrastructure projects – dams, road, high-speed rail and ports – are under construction. While these projects will improve connectivity between countries, harmful environmental impacts need to be minimised. National level environmental impacts assessments that ignore cross border impacts are likely ...
4 megatrends affect Vietnam: WB official
At a national conference on Thursday in Vietnam’s Hanoi capital, Ousmane Dione, country director for the World Bank (WB) in Vietnam discussed four megatrends affecting Vietnam’s sustainable and competitive development. []Meanwhile, climate change poses a significant risk to Vietnam, he said, noting that rising sea-levels expose ...
Mekong delta provinces want more funds to tackle erosion
Ca Mau and Kien Giang Provinces seek greater government assistance for building embankments and planting protective mangrove forests. Keep reading ...
At Thailand-Laos Border, A Shadow Economy Thrives
A silhouette of the casino’s golden domes and gaudy crown appears in the distance, standing out like a sore thumb against the landscape of lush tropical hills in this northwestern corner of Laos. The Ton Pheung district is part of a special economic zone (SEZ) ...
6th GEF Assembly: 4.1 billion USD committed to global environment
The sixth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) concluded on June 28 in the central city of Da Nang with 29 countries pledging to provide 4.1 billion USD for the next four years for numerous global environment-related programmes. Keep reading ...
Poor countries face $168 billion interest bill due to climate change
Poor countries could have to pay up to $168 billion more in interest over the next decade as extreme weather events brought on by climate change affect their credit ratings, a study said on Monday. Nations that rely heavily on agriculture are likely to suffer ...
Scientists seek solutions to landslides in Mekong Delta
Coastal and riverbank landslides are now a hot topic in the Mekong Delta. In May and June, a series of landslide cases occurred in the delta’s provinces, from Ca Mau, Hau Giang and Can Tho to An Giang, Dong Thap and Vinh Long. Keep reading ...