Of the 53 countries that have invested in Laos, China has the largest number of investments, undertaking a total of 813 projects worth US$ 16 billion.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
ASEAN, Mekong River Commission to Convene Inaugural Water Security Dialogue
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Mekong River Commission will hold their first ever Water Security Dialogue to garner innovative solutions to address emerging challenges on water security across the region.
Laos drowning in debt that can’t be repaid: experts
“It is an environmental tragedy of the highest order that key rivers in Laos, such as the majestic Nam Ou, have been sacrificed to build these dams for an outcome that has seen not state revenues and sustainable development for the people of Laos, but elevated debt burdens and financial stress.”
Myanmar junta’s coup gives greenlight to timber traffickers
Timber logging usually takes a break in the monsoon. Even smugglers halt their activities from mid-May to early October to avoid the rainy season. However, Salai witnesses 15 to 20 timber trucks passing each day near his village in Hkamti, Sagaing Region—a highly forested region in northwest Myanmar between the border with India and Kachin State.
4 circular economy lessons from Bangkok
The concept of a circular economy offers a way to rethink production and consumption on a systemic level. Given that opportunity, this spring our Bangkok Hub of Global Shapers — a youth-led network of Hubs initiated by the World Economic Forum — was selected as one of four cities to pilot a new initiative to support the development of circular economy solutions tailored to local needs through grassroots efforts.
Lower Sesan II Hydropower Plant protects the environment and provides clean energy in Cambodia
In July, the Fisheries Administration of Cambodia issued a certificate to the Lower Sesan II Hydropower plant in recognition of the company’s achievements in fish protection.
INSIGHT – If your coffee’s going downhill, blame climate change
The expansion is challenging Vietnam’s longstanding robusta dominance, while squeezing smaller players, increasingly leaving output concentrated in fewer regions and more vulnerable to price spikes if extreme weather occurs.
Planned new hydroelectric dams threaten mighty rivers worldwide
A case in point is the Mekong river in Southeast Asia, which has turned into a shadow of its former mighty self as a result of numerous hydroelectric dams constructed in recent years throughout much of its length from China to Cambodia. No country along its course has been left unaffected.
Exhibition celebrates Thailand’s diversity
“Leaving No One Behind: Indigenous Peoples And The Call For A New Social Contract” is the theme of “You Me We Us”, an online exhibition that explores diversity through stories of various ethnic groups within the Kingdom.
Gov’t says NGO campaign illegal
The campaign by a group of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) demanding the release of environmental and human rights activists is illegal and more of a political agenda than a defense of freedoms, says the Ministry of Justice.