Environment and land
China hydropower having major impact along Mekong River: study
Hydropower facilities along the upper reaches of the Lancang, which becomes the Mekong River as it flows out of China, have led to major river-flow changes affecting Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, according to a study from Finland’s Aalto University. The study found river-flow ...
Villagers demand investigation into gold mines
Mandalay farmers have staged a sit-in for the past four days in protest of gold mines they claim have encroached on their land. The Wet Tae village residents are demanding the government suspend the mining activities until the conclusion of an investigation. They also called for ...
Nay Pyi Taw dam helps boost summer paddy plans
Nay Pyi Taw authorities are planning a 50 percent increase in the area of land set aside for summer paddy growing this year, according to an official from the region’s agricultural department. U Tin Oo Kyaing said the department is aiming to plant over 15,000 acres ...
Australian charity to send Northern Territory cattle to Cambodian families
An Australian charity has bought 150 Brahman breeders from a Northern Territory Government research farm to send to Cambodia. Cows for Cambodia loans Cambodian families pregnant cows to look after until they have a calf, which the family keeps as payment. The Northern Territory cattle, ...
More than 3,500 disputes have been ‘resolved’: gov’t
Cambodia has either resolved or rejected 6,060 of the Kingdom’s 7,549 ongoing land disputes, according to figures presented by Deputy Prime Minister of Land Management Bin Chhin during a speech yesterday. More than 3,500 cases have reportedly been “resolved”, while a further 2,500 cases were ...
Ministry lists top ten commercial rice varieties
The Department of Trade Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has listed the top ten Lao rice varieties for domestic sale and export. Laos has about 12,000 rice varieties but many of them still need improvement for commercialisation, department Director General Mr Somvang ...
Cashew nut exports to hit $3b in 2017
Việt Nam is expected to export 360,000 tonnes of cashews for a value of US$3 billion this year, an increase of 3.4 per cent in volume and 5.6 per cent in value over last year, according to the Việt Nam Cashew Association (Vinacas). Speaking at ...
282 poor air quality days in capital in 2016
Dust concentration in the air, both in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City, was several times higher in 2016 than the levels recommended by the World Health Organization, endangering resident’s health. In Hà Nội, the dust concentration reached up to 50,5 mg per cubic ...
Private capital investments in conservation have taken off since 2013
Over the past decade, banks, fund managers, and others funneled more than $8 billion into investments aimed at delivering measurable environmental benefits as much as financial returns, according to a new report prepared by the NGO Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace initiative. The findings of the ...
The Bird’s eye view: what endangered birds tell us about the risks of Mekong development
The Thai government started 2017 announcing another major commitment to transportation expansion: US$25 billion to finance futuristic high-speed trains, super highways and expanded sea and airports. Far less glitzy but immediately controversial, however, was one of its final transportation acts of 2016: preparing to restart, after ...