Thailand to ban 3 types of plastic (microbeads, cap seals and oxo-degradable plastics) by Jan 1st. 4 others (lightweight plastic bags less than 36 microns thick, styrofoam food containers, plastic cups and plastic straws) by 2022.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Rising Coastal Sea Levels Pose Threat to Cities in Vietnam and Thailand
A recent study referred to by some as a “Doomsday Report” suggests that rising sea levels could flood three times more land than previously predicted.
Murdered forest community rights activist never released after his arrest
Mr. Chaiwat Limlikhit-akson, former chief of Thailand’s Kaeng Krachan national park, now in custody along with three other men.
NGOs challenging financiers of the Xayaburi hydropower project
32 groups issue statement to five Thai banks funding the Xayaburi Dam, making five demands including they “not fund any hydropower development project in the Lower Mekong Mainstem for at least ten years.”
Mouse deer species not seen for nearly 30 years is found alive in Vietnam
A distinctly two-tone mouse deer that was feared lost to science has been captured on film foraging for food by camera traps set up in a Vietnamese forest.
Stakeholders Question Farness of MRC’s Impact Assessment for Laos’ Luangprabang Dam
Many recommendations to lower the environmental impact were raised, but few were accepted during a meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) last week in Vientiane.
Thailand asks farmers not to grow off-season rice on drought worries
The Thai government has asked farmers in 22 provinces to not grow off-season rice, as the country braced for a dry spell amid low water levels in main reservoirs.
Cambodia’s China-built runway irks US but locals have other concerns
“The town has been occupied by China,” a Sihanoukville hotel employee said. “But it can’t be helped for the sake of our bread and butter.”