Environment and land
$158 million to develop agriculture
The United States Agency for International Development and the International Fund for Agricultural Development jointly agreed on February 7 in an agreement to earmark $158 million as support to the kingdom’s Agricultural Strategic Development Plan. “The agreement will oversee the development and enactment of policies with the ...
Ministries urged to do more to protect forests
Forest activists and community representatives have urged the government to post markers at protected natural areas to prevent encroachment of loggers and the clearing of forest. The proposal was made at a forum on protecting and conserving natural resources on February 6 attended by the Environment Minister, ...
Minister calls for chainsaw import ban to tackle logging
Environment Minister Say Sam Al on February 6 said he would seek approval for a ban on the import of chainsaws in a bid to tackle the country’s persistent illegal logging trade. Mr. Sam Al announced his plans during a morning meeting at the ministry, ...
Ministry to closely monitor agri-business
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will this year closely monitor domestic and foreign investment in this sector as it believes that many companies have not implemented the agreements made or complied with stipulated feasibility study methods. The ministry will strictly apply management measures to ...
How should Vietnam behave after the US abandons TPP?
Anti-globalization and protectionist attitudes are increasing in some countries, but Vietnam still has an open economy. This means big challenges for Vietnam in upcoming days. US President Donald Trump on January 23 officially pulled out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, a move that The New ...
The rise of unregulated livestock production prompts health concerns in regions
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is warning that increasing demand for, and consumption of, meat and other products of animal origin in East and Southeast Asia are threatening the health of millions of people and livestock as unregulated producers race to meet the demand, often ...
The soul of the Mekong is in trouble
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha last week asked reporters why non-governmental organisations, environmental activists and academics continue to protest against the planned blasting of rapids in the Mekong River. He said many of these protesters are outsiders, meaning people who do not live by the riverside, do ...
PM vows to address chronic land issues
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has pledged to find solutions to the many land issues that have emerged and the government has formed a taskforce committee to investigate the problems and resolve them. The committee will investigate land concessions, the transfer of land use rights in ...
Marine quality checked
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has asked four central provinces to provide regular reports on marine environment quality. The provinces of Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Huế have been told that they should seriously implement the instruction to monitor ...
Pracha Rath makes an impact
Local communities in Phetchabun are optimistic about the government’s Pracha Rath project, which has led to real achievements in boosting the domestic economy and incomes of grass-roots people, especially farmers. Pracha Rath is the public-private partnership project initiated by the government with the aim of boosting ...