Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Major M’kiri tourism plan given the nod
Investment will target the natural eco-tourism areas and corridors of the five wildlife sanctuaries; the Bou Sra-Dak Dam Cultural and Ecotourism Corridor; the provincial capital Sen Monorom town; and the area in O’Raing district connected with the development of a widely-anticipated regional-level airport.
Thailand flexes financial muscle to grapple with climate crisis
“Social responsibility and sustainable profit” can go hand in hand according to the chief of Thailand’s government pension fund. The UN, and some of the biggest players in the Thai economy, are working together to support efforts by the country’s finance and banking institutions to speed up the South East Asian country’s transition to a net zero carbon economy.
USAID-funded Keo Seima conservation project completed
According to WCS, during the event, key project achievements were presented focusing on collaborative conservation efforts to improve biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health, sustainable and equitable economic opportunities, community livelihoods, and natural capital reinvestment, and to strengthen inclusive landscape governance in KSWS in the Eastern Plains, Cambodia.
Thailand’s State Enterprises invest over 100 billion bahtin energy infrastructure projects
The projects include the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal in Rayong province, the fifth natural gas pipeline project, and a nationwide electricity transmission expansion project.
Philippines and Vietnam coal-fired plants to retire in ADB-led plan
Bank partners with Prudential and HSBC for pilot project. The proposals will include a shortlist of existing coal-fired power plants across Asia to buy and retire well before the end of their life cycles and replace them with clean energy.
Vietnam values relations with ESCAP: Foreign Minister
He stressed that Vietnam welcomes ESCAP’s 77th session approving of a resolution on the “Regional cooperation to build back better from crises in Asia and the Pacific”. The resolution highlights multilateralism and cooperation inside and outside the region in a bid to promote post-pandemic recovery, prioritising the improvement of the medical and social welfare systems, climate change response, digital transformation and digital economic development.
First report on maritime environment, national islands completed
The report, the first of its kind to be launched after the 2015 Law on Natural Resources, and Environment of Sea and Islands took effect, provides assessments on current issues in maritime environment and national islands in the period, which serve as a foundation for solutions to prevent pollution and gradually improve the situation, ensuring sustainable development.
How Mekong River is turning into a new flashpoint in Indo-Pacific
Experts view the South China Sea as the most probable area of conflict in Asia. Their attention now has also turned to the Mekong River, where the economic and environmental stakes are arguably much higher.