Includes support to launch the Mekong Coastal Habitat Conservation project, a new three-year, up to $2.9 million project with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This project aims to protect key coastal habitats in the Mekong Delta region to increase the sustainability of fisheries, enhance climate change adaptation and improve biodiversity conservation.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Asean formalises Mekong involvement with water security dialogue, as China’s dams come under scrutiny
The inaugural meeting between the bloc and the Mekong River Commission has been hailed as a means of boosting protection of the vital waterway. Asean has not previously discussed issues relating to the river at the regional level, but its fluctuating water levels have put upstream Chinese dams in the spotlight.
Measures sought to control tiger trading, conservation
The People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) on August 24 organised a seminar looking back on the captivity, trading, rescue and conservation of tigers in Vietnam after the recent seizure of 17 tigers in Nghe An province.
New book provides hope for transboundary water cooperation on Mekong
Int’l RBOs are often seen as “powerless” or “toothless” when it comes to difficult decisions like dam building. But MRC Secretariat’s Anoulak Kittikhoun argues otherwise. In his interview with Khmer Times he addresses this & several other questions.
Deforestation surge continues amid deepening uncertainty in Myanmar
atellite data from the University of Maryland show a surge in forest clearing in northern parts of the Tanintharyi region in southern Myanmar, including within a protected area.
Mondulkiri population of Asian elephants now an estimated 300 strong
Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the presence of newborn elephants in large herds gave hope to conservationists and environmentalists.
Layers of regulation in transboundary water governance: exploring the role of third states in the Lancang–Mekong
This paper first provides a theoretical tour d’horizon of this legal problématique, identifying a series of problems and possible solutions based on the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. The practical consequences of this problématique will then be explored in the context of the Lancang–Mekong River, and the interaction between the various legal frameworks at play.
Road transport to see surge post-pandemic ASEAN
For instance, the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (CBTA) allows each of the six-member countries – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam – to issue up to 500 GMS Road Transport Permits and Temporary Admission Documents (TADs) for goods and passenger vehicles registered, owned and/or operated in that country.
What next for U.S. engagement on Cambodia’s protected forests?
The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh asserted at the time of the defunding decision that “effective environmental management requires transparent and accountable governance” and promised that “assistance will instead be redirected to support civil society.”
Chinese dams cloud Mekong River relations
So the new Chinese ambassador to Thailand will have a challenge to prove that the countries’ friendship remains strong. He can’t just resort to diplomatic rhetoric. Of course, being dubbed as a “younger sibling” and “one family”, will make Thais’ hearts glow. Yet the proof of fraternity will be seen in the river that runs unimpeded.