Environment and land
Laos's Attapeu seizes 9,000 cubic metres of illegal lumber
More than 9,000 cubic metres of illegal timber has been seized in southern Attapeu province since late last year, according to a report by the provincial authorities. Timber traders have reportedly been attempting to export timber through the province, despite an export ban imposed by the ...
Poverty reduction – Central Highlands’ main political task: PM
Poverty alleviation remains a main political task of the Central Highlands region, stated Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a working session with the Central Highlands Steering Committee in Dak Lak province on June 20. He suggested regional localities study and propose amendments to their specific ...
Pattaya sea water quality gets 'poor' grade
The sea water along the busy central Pattaya beaches in Thailand is of poor quality and could endanger human and marine life, Regional Environmental Office has said. According to Thanapong Rattanawutthinun, of the Chon Buri provincial office of Natural Resources and Environment who also attended ...
Premier decries ‘disrespect’ over ASEAN South China Sea statement
Prime Minister Hun Sen on 20 June slammed reports that Cambodia had succumbed to pressure from China and helped kill a strongly worded ASEAN statement on the South China Sea dispute, even as he parroted Beijing’s pre-emptive dismissal of an upcoming Hague ruling on the issue. ASEAN ...
In Mon State expanding quarries threaten farms
The number of quarries in Mon State is quickly increasing and locals say authorities fail to regulate their environmental impact on farmlands. On a recent afternoon in May, the farmers of Ohn Titbin Village Tract were tending to their betel nut and rubber plantations when a ...
Damming the Nam Tha in Northern Laos
The Nam Tha, or Tha River, begins in northern Laos near the Lao-China border and runs southwest to join the Mekong just south of Huay Xay on the Lao-Thai border. In October 2014, I traveled by motorcycle and longtail boat up the Nam Tha, starting ...
Government declares closing of natural forests
Up to 2.25 million hectares of natural forests in the Central Highlands are not allowed to be open to commercial projects, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The Government leader announced the closing of natural forests at conference in Dak Lak province’s Buon Ma Thuot city ...
Gov’t signs off on Koh Rong protected habitat
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries signed an agreement late last week designating more than 400 square kilometres as a protected marine management area around the islands, located 20 kilometres off the coast of Sihanoukville in a bid to save the Koh Rong Archipelago’s coral ...
New plans revealed for Sihanoukville beaches
Work is due to begin soon on the development of four Preah Sihanouk province beaches, according to a Facebook post by Land Management Minister Chea Sophara. The post showed digital mock-ups of the planned improvements for Ochheuteal, Otres, Independence and Royal beaches, including an entrance archway ...
Laos prepares two sites for world heritage listing
Laos expects to make a submission to Unesco for world heritage listing of the Plain of Jars in northern Xieng Khuang province as well as Phou Hin Nam Nor in central Khammuan province next year. Officials from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Ministry of ...
