“For the sake of better management of the basin and of good faith cooperation, both Member Countries and China should notify any planned major changes in the operation of hydropower projects and share that information with the MRC Secretariat. This is important where such operations may result in abnormal rises and falls in water levels,” says Dr An Pich Hatda, MRC Secretariat Chief Executive Officer.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Lao flood survivors still struggle, with cash and rice support now cut off or reduced
“The authorities said they wouldn’t cut off our support until we had all moved into permanent homes, but now the cash allowance has been stopped and the rice allowance has been cut back since January,” a third Dong Bak villager said.
Cambodia’s first giant muntjac sighting highlights key mountain habitat
The camera traps recorded a diverse range of other species in addition to the rare deer. In total, 13 species were recorded that are threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List,
What are the impacts of dams on the Mekong river?
The Mekong river feeds jungles, irrigates crops for tens of millions of people, and supports the Tonle Sap lake – the most productive inland fishery on the planet.
Mekong-U.S. Partnership Senior Officials’ Meeting
On June 29, Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kin Moy co-hosted with Cambodia the first annual Mekong-U.S. Partnership Senior Officials’ Meeting. The ASEAN Secretariat joined the meeting as an observer.
China key to Vietnam’s solar success
Around 99% of the installed solar panels in Vietnam come from China. At the same time, China is one of the few countries that still lends Vietnam money to build coal plants.
Climate, biodiversity & farmers benefit from rubber agroforestry: report
On the livelihoods side, there are examples from Laos, Liberia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria where intercropping with extra food crops, or agroforestry with other cash crops, improves food security and income.
N Calls for End to ‘Punitive Measures’ Used Against Cambodian Environmental Activists
‘Human rights and environmental work are not criminal offenses,’ the UN says in a June 30 statement.
Beijing’s ambitions and tactics to control Southeast Asia
The CCP’s harnessing the Mekong faucet has gained itself political bargaining chips for restricting ASEAN states because the five downstream Mekong states account for half of ASEAN members.
Meet Kru Tee, Teacher, Guardian, and Defender of the Mekong River
The Mekong – U.S. Partnership Heroes Series is proud to present the story of Niwat Roykaew (Kru Tee), an environmental defender of the Mekong River and its environs.