Economy and industry
The guardians of Siamese rosewood
“We bury a GPS tracker in the wood. We call them rabbits,” says Cheewapap Cheewatham, director of Thailand’s Forest Protection and Fire Control Bureau, part of the forestry department. He tells China Dialogue that they used to just impound as evidence cut rosewood they found ...
Ryn Jirenuwat, Tyler Roney
Vietnam makes slow progress in shifting toward green economy: report
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Green Future Index listed Vietnam as a climate laggard economy for making low and uneven commitments toward a green future. The index released by MIT Technology Review Insights this week measures 76 global economies on their progress and commitment toward building ...
Dang Khoa
Thailand challenges Laos dam building spree on Mekong River
Activists gathered Saturday in Paris to support people exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, after a French court examined the case of a French-Vietnamese woman who sued 14 companies that produced and sold the powerful defoliant dioxin used by U.S. troops. Former journalist Tran ...
MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR
Drones aid Thailand’s reforestation
Across the world, communities are fighting to restore tree cover. Biodiversity loss and efforts to mitigate climate change are driving forces for this renewed interest in forests. However, the high costs in developing economies and poor political resolve in wealthy nations continue to hinder reforestation ...
Alita Sharon
‘Not Sufficient’: Thailand Rejects Report on Lao Hydropower Dam
Thailand has reportedly rejected a new technical report on Laos’ Sanakham hydropower project – the latest sign of the growing consternation about the impact of mega-dams on the ecology of the Mekong River basin. On January 15, the country’s Chinese contractor submitted a revised technical report ...
Sebastian Strangio
Mekong Delta province seeks $195 mln road expansion
National Highway 61C connects Hau Giang Province with Can Tho City. Photo by VnExpres/Anh Lam. Hau Giang has proposed that a national highway section that connects it with Can Tho City be expanded from two-four lanes. It says the VND4.5 trillion ($195 million) expansion would boost connectivity ...
Cuu Long
Thailand Rejects New Technical Report on Large-Scale Lao Mekong Mainstream Dam
Thailand has rejected a new technical report on Laos’ Sanakham dam project, one of nine large-scale Mekong River mainstream dams integral to Vientiane’s controversial economic strategy of becoming the “Battery of Southeast Asia.” The 684-megawatt Sanakham dam is one of seven future dams in various stages ...
Reported by RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Ministry draws up plan to inspect dams every five years
Laos is preparing a nationwide hydropower inspection procedure which will be carried out every five years to ensure safety and the maintenance of standards. Director General of the Department of Energy Management, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Mr Bouathep Malaykham, told Vientiane Times on Tuesday that in ...
Khonesavanh Latsaphao
ASEAN’s Migrant Worker Clusters
According to think tank, the Institute for Human Rights and Business, across Southeast Asia, an estimated 10 million migrant workers live and work in major destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Malaysia is home to around two million documented migrant workers, comprising about 15 percent ...
Athira Nortajuddin
New highways, bridges set to ease gridlock in Mekong Delta
Several major transport projects that have been completed will ease traffic overload on many of the Mekong Delta’s roads and bridges during the Lunar New Year. Ferry station The Rach Mieu Ferry Station is all set to be completed. Situated 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) from the Rach ...
Hoang Nam