Environment and land
Thailand's NRCT strikes deal on haze reduction in northern region
The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) has made an agreement with the 3rd Army Area on a cooperative effort to reduce haze disasters caused by burnings in the northern region. The NRCT Secretary-General Soottiporn Chittmittrapap has revealed that the NRCT has joined hands with the ...
Laos: Officials discuss national food and nutrition security
Stakeholders from the government, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector gathered on 10 July to discuss and exchange information on food and nutrition security in Laos. Meeting at the Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the Asean Integrated Food Security Framework in ...
Villages hope to get rich from Myanmar's oil rush

Once-quiet Myanmar villages have become oil boomtowns made out of bamboo and metal, and powered by generators. Speculators must pay both local authorities and the villagers whose land they want to drill on. And if they do strike oil, they better hope it’s not too ...
Cambodia, Vietnam to visit border

Cambodian and Vietnamese officials will visit Svay Rieng province next week as part of efforts to resolve ongoing border disputes, but the exclusion of journalists has sparked criticism over the negotiations’ lack of transparency. Border Post 203 in Kampong Ro district has been a flashpoint in ...
World Bank loans Vietnam $507 mln for agriculture, poverty reduction, transport

Vietnam’s central bank and the World Bank on Thursday signed four credit agreements totaling US$507 million to support Vietnam’s priorities in sustainable agriculture, poverty reduction, and a bus rapid transit system. The financing covers four projects: the Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project (US$238 million), additional financing for ...
Mekong Delta summer-autumn rice output seen up 1.6 pct
The summer-autumn paddy rice output in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s food basket, is projected to rise 1.6 percent from last year to 9.07 million tonnes, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper reported, citing data from the agriculture ministry. Keep reading ...
210,000 affected by lingering drought in SW China
A series of photos of the severe drought in southwest China. Click to view ...
Vietnam axes $200mln plant project as Taiwanese giant dawdles

Vietnamese authorities in the northern province of Vinh Phuc have recalled a license for a US$200-million factory invested by the world’s largest electronics manufacturer Foxconn. The Taiwanese company, which has partnered with many giants including Apple and BlackBerry, had failed to kick-start the project licensed in ...
One man's quest to save the most colossal fishes on earth

Zeb Hogan has been funded by National Geographic to research giant freshwater fish. “After working on this for about 10 years,” he says, “it turns out that there are about 30 species of freshwater fish that can get over 6 feet long or weigh more than ...
Laos: New farming methods suited to climate change

Poverty and scarce food supply was just a fact of life for the people in Koutou village, Luang Namtha province, Laos. With most people relying on rice farming and livestock for their livelihood, there were few options for other income. Koutou is one of 13 villages ...