Riverscope has been applied to five pilot projects in Africa and Southeast Asia, including three dams planned on the Mekong River. The assessments found that large hydropower projects are often associated with ESG risks that are difficult to manage effectively or at a reasonable cost. This inevitably leads to long delays and budget overruns.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Bid adieu to bad rubbish
It is imperative that the government strikes the right balance between helping an industry which can deal with such a pressing environmental concern — scrap shops encouraging people to dispose of their possessions safely — without promoting the import of yet more waste which causes an equal or greater amount of harm as a by-product of its processing.
Plea to give Karen a say in Kaeng Krachan forest
Villagers do not object to Kaeng Krachan forest being a World Heritage site, but they fear the upgrade of its conservation status will cause greater rights deprivation and prevent them from continuing their traditional livelihoods in the forest.
Rare birds caught on camera
It affirmed that the research team and park rangers are pulling out all the stops to protect these bird species of concern, especially their nests during the breeding and nesting seasons from June to November.
Thanaleng Dry Port, Vientiane Logistics Park to drive Lao economy, PM’s aides told
Planned to connect to the Laos-China Railway, which is slated to open for services in December this year, the Thanaleng Dry Port and Vientiane Logistics Park will link to the intended global transport network leading to Europe via the railway.
The use of pesticide in Mekong Delta remains high
The use of fertilisers and pesticides in the Mekong Delta has decreased over the years but is still higher than the national average, despite it proving to be ineffective.
Covid threat just one of many: must support pro-environment policies
As Thai authorities battle to halt a tide of infections currently threatening to dislodge a halo worn so proudly by many who thought Covid-19 had been beaten on home soil, a UN report released last week comes as a timely reminder that epidemics come in all shapes and sizes and the present Covid crisis can’t be allowed to distract from pro-environmental policy-making.
Economics of BRI & US global human rights propaganda (opinion)
Most recently, a US-based institution published a report attempting to dispute the China-proposed BRI, claiming that a hydroelectric dam in northeastern Cambodia under the BRI “has undermined the life and livelihood of thousands of local communities and ethnic minorities. Various reports verify that the Lower Sesan 2 dam project has been contributing greatly to the development of the nation and also improved the livelihood of local residents, who used to live without access to electricity or proper transport infrastructure.