Environment and land
Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam alarmed by Laos project
Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam have urged Laos to better assess transboundary impacts, and strengthen proposed measures to reduce any negative effect as it moves ahead with the construction of a dam. At a special joint committee session of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) earlier this week, ...
Shankar Ganesh
Thai farmers are trying a new, climate-friendly way to grow rice
A new agricultural program in central Thailand is working with farmers to change the way they grow rice, in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies while saving water, time and money. The program, backed by the Thai government and German development agency ...
Skylar Lindsay
Farming of the Future
Innovative Thai start-ups are pushing technology to add value in agriculture and raise incomes Saraburi, a verdant central Thai province north of the capital, Bangkok, is known for spectacles like fields of sunflowers spreading beneath hills, and dragon fruit piled high like rubies at roadside stalls. ...
Mekong nations urge Laos to review Luang Prabang dam impacts
Neighboring countries have called on Laos to consider the cross-border environmental impacts of a hydropower plant it plans to build on the Mekong River. Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand expressed concern after the Mekong River Commission (MRC) completed a six-month consultation process for the Luang Prabang Dam project ...
Viet Anh
Vietnam ready to carry out REDD+
A meeting was held in Hanoi on June 26 to review the project on support for preparing the readiness to carry out the international framework “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation” (REDD+) in Vietnam Phase 2 (FCPF-2). The programme, from November 2016 to June 30, 2020, has been implemented ...
VNA
New study reveals attitudes towards climate migrants
A new study from an international team of researchers has looked at how residents in Vietnam and Kenya perceive those forced to migrate because of extreme climates. The research team, including Dr. Quynh Nguyen from The Australian National University (ANU) say climate-induced migration is becoming more ...
Jess Fagan, Australian National University
Laos urged to better assess impacts, provide effective mitigation measures, as Luang Prabang dam moves forwards
Cambodia, Thailand and Viet Nam requested Lao PDR to conduct rigorous transboundary impact assessments and enhance proposed measures to mitigate potential adverse impacts from the 1,460-megawatt Luang Prabang hydropower project, as the Mekong River Commission concluded a six-month prior consultation process for the project. At a ...
Mekong River Commission Secretariat, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Myanmar: Project to Boost Agricultural Productivity, Support Farmers in Wake of COVID-19
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a $200 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) to increase agricultural productivity and diversification and enhance market access for Myanmar farmers, with a strong focus on inclusion for smallholder farmers, women and other vulnerable ...
Kyaw Soe Lynn, WB in Myanmar; Nick Keyes, WB in Washington
Laos to plough on with third Mekong dam project
Laos is pushing ahead with a hydropower project on the Mekong River, despite reservations aired by neighbouring countries over its potential to harm fisheries and farming downstream, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Wednesday. The 1,400-megawatt (MW) Luang Prabang project will be Laos’s third and ...
Gov’t, USAID Criticized for Inaction Over Severe Forest Loss at Prey Lang Sanctuary
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen released an open letter Thursday reporting a 73 percent increase in deforestation in 2019 at the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, compared to 2018, while criticizing the government’s ban on certain patrolling operations. The University of Copenhagen’s open letter used data ...
Sun Narin, VOA Khmer