Asean ignores the impending implosion of the Mekong’s ecosystem at its peril, as the fallout will not be confined to the subregion. Food security challenges in the Mekong basin are a cause for region-wide concern since the countries along the river’s length are among the world’s biggest rice exporters.
Category: ASEAN
The poor state of press freedom is stunting social progress in Southeast Asia
None of the 11 countries in the ASEAN bloc scored above RSF’s ‘difficult situation’ designation. Singapore and Laos were also included in this designation of countries with the worst press freedom in the world.” “
Fueled by China, Coal Still Firing in SE Asia Despite Environmental Concerns
While many markets, including the United States, Europe, and East Asia, shift away from coal, Chinese banks, energy and construction companies remain committed to financing and building dozens of plants in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
Can the EU’s climate change plan work in Southeast Asia?
There’s big money driving dirty energy. If the EU takes a strong forceful stance on coal consumption in the region, it could spark anger from the main exporters of the commodity, China, India and Australia
ASEAN Not Doing Enough For Its Wildlife
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) – which has a long history of using animal ingredients – is a key pillar of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and remains a profitable incentive to keep the trade alive.
From the bookshelf: ‘In the dragon’s shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese century’
And China has mirrored its construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea by damming the upper Mekong River, giving Chinese dam engineers the power of life and death over large swathes of the downstream Mekong nations.
Award ceremony for ASEAN plastic pollution innovation challenge
Among 14 finalists, four teams won the awards, namely Galaxy Biotech, Green Joy and Refill from Vietnam and CIRAC from Thailand. Each winner received a seed funding of 18,000 USD and will start a 9-month impact acceleration programme.
Cryptocurrencies Impacting The Environment
Bitcoin mining has already picked up in Southeast Asia, with Cambodia increasingly becoming a hub for cryptocurrency trading and mining perhaps due to its cheaper rent and electricity rates and loose regulations.
Spotlight on the right to a healthy environment in Southeast Asia
Citizens across Southeast Asia recognize the right to a healthy environment in their countries’ laws, policies, and juridical system.