Bounkham Vorachit, who was appointed Minister in March this year and is now the MRC Council Member for Lao PDR, told MRC Secretariat CEO An Pich Hatda during their online meeting last Thursday that the country was fully committed to the principles and objectives of sustainable development under the MRC cooperation.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Nam Ou River Basin Power Company hands over drinking water purification project to Hatkeep villagers
Mr Zhigong expressed the hope that the Lao government would continue to strengthen its key support and assistance to the Nam Ou River Project, so that the rich hydropower resources of the Nam Ou River could be transformed into rich social and economic benefits, and contribute to the rapid economic development of northern Laos and the friendly cooperation between China and Laos.
Endangered bamboo sharks given helping hand in Gulf of Thailand
The small, slow moving, bottom dwelling sharks with striped bodies and an extra long tail have become endangered in recent years because of their popularity with fish collectors and exotic food diners.
6 cities at risk of chronic flooding
Some of the world’s great coastal cities could be severely inundated by 2050 as a result of global warming. Extreme floods that used to occur once a century could start hitting some cities including Bangkok and Hanoi every year.
Vietnamese in Cambodia struggle as local authority dismantles temporary shelters
To Van Trong a resident from the area, said that his family and most of the people in the area had lived on floating houses in Prek Pnov district’s river, Phnom Penh, since 1980 after Vietnamese volunteers soldiers helped Cambodia overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime. Although their life is difficult, they still have lived there for decades.
‘Water grabbing’ on the Mekong
As dam-building projects continue to proliferate along Southeast Asia’s vital Mekong River, experts in a recent online discussion panel agreed that the area is fast becoming overloaded with them, dredging up far-reaching issues ranging from international friction and industry “water grabs” to widespread ecological disasters and the growing impacts of climate change.
A US-China Green Deal may help the Mekong basin countries: Le Dinh Tinh
Vietnam as the lowest Mekong country is facing a lot of stress and strain. People even talk about a scary future scenario where the Delta might be wiped out of the map, becoming a submerged area. It is thus in the national interests of Vietnam to view the Mekong from the lens of security, development and international cooperation.
Thailand’s key role in tackling climate emergency
Leading foreign diplomates in Thailand applaud Thailand’s ckunate change efforts include its Climate Change Act, which marks an important step towards action on climate change. We hope it will lead to further emissions reductions, allowing Thailand to become a regional leader in climate change mitigation and confirming its strong commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. We look forward to continuing to support Thailand in these efforts.
Minister: Vietnam targets shift to circular economy
Co-organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE)’s Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment, the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and the Finnish Innovation Fund (SITRA), the event aimed to introduce policies and case studies on the circular economy, relevant principles and recommendations, and discuss green economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.