According to the release, the seized illegal timbers included over 217 tonnes of teak, over 72 tonnes of hardwood and over 221 tonnes of other types of timber.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Lao villagers not yet paid for land lost to China-backed high-speed rail project
Lao villagers who lost land for a high-speed railway connecting their country with China are still waiting for compensation to be paid, with operations on the China-backed line set to begin later this year.
ADB is greenwashing big hydropower
In its policy document, ADB has placed large hydropower alongside other energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal energy and stated that it will be ‘selective’ in its support for such projects.
Why Vietnam needs a circular economy for plastics
Increasing consumption of single-use plastics and mismanagement of wastes is visibly polluting the country’s cities and beaches, adversely impacting biodiversity and natural habitats, and contributing to climate change.
Laos has reduced Greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent over ten years
He said that the Government of Laos has prioritized climate change as a key issue, incorporating the objectives of the Paris Agreement into its National Socio-Economic Development Plan and National Green Growth Strategy.
A greater Mekong alliance is necessary for the region to prosper
Although there are no territorial disputes like those in the South China Sea, and no Western presence, China’s economic might is on full display in the Mekong region. Before Covid-19 struck, cities like Sihanoukville, Pattaya, and Luang Prabang were swamped with Chinese tourists. One only has to look at the impact that Chinese business and interests have had on the Cambodian economy to understand how the world’s newest superpower is flexing its economic muscles.
Another Great Flood looming for Thailand? Experts weigh the risks
With the overflowing Chao Phraya flooding more provinces, Thais are worried their worst fears could soon be realized – a recurrence of the Great Flood of 2011, which claimed more than 600 lives and caused damage worth a whopping Bt1.44 trillion.
USAID promotes conservation of endangered bird species in Prey Lang
USAID-GPLP pays community members a daily rate for each nest they watch over. Depending on the bird species, the monitoring period takes up to three months, beginning with finding active nests with eggs and ending when the chicks having successfully fledged.
Gauging benefits of natural ecosystems in fighting floods
Using modelling, the study zoomed in on the possible scenario of continued deforestation at the Myanmar Chindwin River basin, and showed that protecting these forests could reduce the economic and human costs of floods by 14 percent.
Energy crossroads
The Thai government recently announced a policy to increase the share of renewable energy to at least 50% of the country’s total needs, from about 15 percent now. B.Grimm Power itself is moving toward realising net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.