Economy and industry
Interview: Pou Sothirak on protecting the Mekong and powering Cambodia
Previously secretary of state at the Foreign Affairs Ministry for the Cambodian government, Pou Sothirak is executive director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace. He is a tireless campaigner for the ecology and communities of the Lower Mekong and particularly Tonle Sap, Southeast ...
Tyler Roney
Hundreds of Families Forced to Move for Lao Coal Plant Expansion
Authorities in northwestern Laos are forcing hundreds of families to relocate to make way for the expansion of a lignite power plant, setting the stage for a dispute over compensation with residents who say they will be shortchanged by the communist government’s ambitious development plans. A ...
RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Coal-powered developments threaten Cambodia’s largest national park
Cambodia’s government has granted permission for a new special economic zone (SEZ) and coal-fired power plant within the lush Botum Sakor National Park in coastal Koh Kong province. The SEZ would create another loosely regulated industrial area within a biodiverse primary forest. Late last year, Koh ...
Danielle Keeton-Olsen
Bear paws, pangolin scales: Wildlife trade flourishing in Mekong
A new study by TRAFFIC, a group that monitors the illegal trade in wildlife, has found thousands of animal parts and products – from pangolin scales to ivory and bear bile – for sale in five countries in mainland Southeast Asia, underlining the region’s struggle ...
AL JAZEERA
Mekong depth set to dip
The Mekong River’s depth in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen district is expected to drop by about 1.3 metres today, as a dam in China’s Yunnan province reduced its discharge rate last week, a river monitor warned. According to a warning on Saturday by the Mekong Dam ...
Post reporters
Total: “We have taken the call to limit the income going to the military junta. We have tried everything to reduce this.”
Energy giant, Total was forced to justify its response to the Myanmar coup to shareholders yesterday amid growing pressure from international campaigners to halt payments to the military regime. Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting, Total’s chairman and chief executive Patrick Pouyanné said the company ...
Myanmar Now
Satellite tech, forest guardians protect Vietnam's mangroves
Scientists confirm that the lush green mangrove forests in Vietnam are now threatened by the devastating impacts of climate change in combination with human disturbances, accelerating the degradation of these fragile ecosystems. Some have suggested that the tidal forest’s extensive root systems and ability to adapt ...
MENAFN - Asia Times
Chinese dams on Mekong drying up Thailand's gold panners fortunes
The Chinese dams are blamed for turning gold dreams of Mekong panners into dust, especially Thailand‘s gold panners. Vijitra Duangdee, writing in South China Morning Post (SCMP) said that not only gold is disappearing but, the diets, livelihoods and environment of 60 million people have been jeopardised by the dams, and ...
ANI
As Banks Shun Coal, Vietnam Emerges an Unlikely Solar Champion
Nguyen Tuan was watching the sun shine down on his four-hectare cantaloupe farm in southern Vietnam when he realized it could do more than help his crops grow. The 46-year-old installed 40 solar panels on greenhouses at his farm 55 miles outside of Ho Chi Minh ...
Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, Dan Murtaugh, John Boudreau
Downstream Mekong project success proves China’s commitment to improving livelihoods, boosting hydropower capacity in Mekong region
After an in-person visit to China’s reservoir and learning dam-building skills, the Mekong River envoys relay how infrastructure projects undertaken by China in their countries, especially hydropower projects, have served local people, boosting their wellbeing and socio-economic development along with other concrete benefits. The Mekong River ...
Hu Yuwei and Sun Guangyong
