Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Speculative Yangon city mega-project draws ‘white elephant’ concerns for Myanmar
“When we look at Chinese investment in our country, the track record is not good. I don’t understand why they want to implement mega projects.”
Beyond the tipping point: The political inversion layer fueling Thailand’s air pollution crisis
Downplaying public health threats and allowing conflicts of interest to overshadow meaningful solutions.
Asean climate crises loom after decades of abuse
Asean’s governments continue to abuse the environment but the regional body’s shared ecological efforts to tackle the issues, like the shared Mekong River, are pitiful.
Myanmar joins regional effort to save helmeted hornbill
The helmeted hornbill is one of the most unique species because of its solid casque, for which it has been hunted, illegally traded, and is in great demand as a material for carved jewellery and other ornaments.
Hill farmers swap opium for coffee
“We had nothing, and no hope. With the project, I got rid of my opium addiction, received citizenship, got land and work, and ensured that my children had better lives than me.”
Asia’s twin curse: Dams and droughts
The Mekong, which is normally at least 3 meters high at this time of the year, is today running at a record low level, with its flow reduced to a trickle in some stretches.
UNDP report: Rural communities key to future of Cambodia’s forests
A solution to Cambodia’s climate change and economic development concerns lie in the country’s main natural resource: its forests, according to UNDP Human Development Report released this week.