Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Myanmar extends deadline for 1 GW PV tender
Through the procurement exercise, the government wants to build ground-mounted solar power projects on an independent power producer (IPP), and build-own-operate (BOO) basis.
Villagers slam EIA report on Yuam water project
A group of ethnic villagers who oppose a plan to divert water from the Yuam River to Bhumibol dam is planning to submit a protest letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. They say the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report lacks transparency and the project will have detrimental effects on their livelihood.
Droughts and political risk challenge hydro’s place in energy mixture
Cambodia will probably expand hydropower carefully, according to The Stimson Center’s Courtney Weatherby. “Policymakers would benefit from being strategic in selecting hydropower projects. This could be done through seeking to strategically identify and support projects which are sited above existing projects to avoid further fragmentation of the Mekong River system and avoiding dams on the mainstream of the Mekong, which would negatively impact the flow of water, fish and sediments to the Tonle Sap lake and further threaten fisheries productivity and domestic food production,” Weatherby said.
HCMC urban planning to focus on climate change adaptation
The decision mentions that the southern city would need to integrate urban development with transit-oriented development, including underground-based public transport solutions. Such a plan would effectively utilize its natural conditions and ecosystems to develop the city economically and socio-culturally while protecting the environment and adapting to climate change.
Vietnam, Australia cooperate in organic food trade
Canberra-based Mekong Organics held a ceremony on September 15 to launch the “Promoting organic food certification & trade between Australia and Vietnam” project which is supported by the Australian Government.
TAT signs MoU on carbon-neutral tourism
Under the MoU directives, eight partner organisations are committed to achieving specific goals relating to net-zero carbon tourism. Partners in the project come from three ministries – Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, as well the private sector.
NEB backs EIA on river diversion
The National Environment Board approved an Environment Impact Assessment study allowing a major water diversion from the Yuam River to Bhumibol dam, despite opposition from environmental activists.
CKP moves forward with Luang Prabang dam
Thailand’s CK Power Plc (CKP), a power generation arm of CH Karnchang Plc, is going ahead with its feasibility study to build a hydroelectric power plant near Luang Prabang on the Mekong River in northern Laos. The study will be conducted alongside negotiations over a power tariff rate with the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, which will be a power buyer.
Dam battles converge on Cambodia’s 3S Rivers
The rivers are an ecological bounty in the Mekong watershed. But technical reviews pay little attention to environmental costs of dam building.