the proposal aims to annually divert 60 billion cubic meters of water from the major rivers of the ecologically fragile Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, including three transnational rivers (Mekong, Salween, and Brahmaputra), to arid Xinjiang and other parts of northwest China.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Thailand’s microgrid plans take shape
The pilot project serves the energy needs of some 5,000 houses or around 50,000 people. It includes an 8 MW development comprising 4 MW of solar PV together with a 1.2 MW hydropower plant, 5 MW of diesel generation and coupled with a 3 MW battery storage system.
New World Heritage Site forest imperils Thai indigenous people
Ethnic Karen community evicted from ancestral site wants to return fear that the new World Heritage listing will bring new threats to their ability to live in harmony with the forest as they have always done.
Carbon pricing insights from Vietnam
The paper finds that low carbon prices of $1.85 and $3.86 per tonne on fossil fuel sources, starting from 2022 and increasing at a real rate of 10 per cent per year, would have the potential to reduce emissions from fossil fuel combustion by about 5.5 per cent and 11.2 per cent respectively, relative to business as usual by 2030.
Myanmar seizes over 510 tonnes of illegal timbers over one month
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.
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.