Chinese nationals already make up about 11 per cent of visitors to Laos. When the railway is finished, that figure is expected to rise dramatically, bringing challenges and opportunities for the country
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Living in fear along the Mekong
The Laos government’s response to July’s deadly dam collapse was not enough. Socheata Sim, programme manager for Oxfam’s Mekong Regional Water Governance Program, explains why.
Push for Thai climate fund
Climate change negotiations were mostly between the superpower nations, the elite and big conglomerates. The poor on the frontline are hit the hardest but don’t have a voice: activist.
Ethnic group claims forest being illegally cut
The loggers sell timber to traders who will distribute them to various depots in the northeast provinces before exporting them to Vietnam.
Dams and sand mining threaten integrity of lower Mekong
As investment in hydropower and construction projects ramp up, ecosystems and communities along Southeast Asia’s longest river are paying the price.
The power of finance to slow new coal plants
Public and private banks can literally make or break an energy project when deciding what to finance. Sadly, though, most of the bank policy announcements we have seen this year amount to little more than window-dressing.
Southeast Asia’s sustainable development path under threat
The latest dam incident is a strong reminder that profit is not everything, and that dams come with a high risk.
Water management tools no longer effective: forum
Unpredictable and extreme rainfall patterns caused by climate change make the management of water in reservoirs very challenging.
Plastic waste grows as authorities fail to act
Of some 60 tonnes plastic waste generated every day in Ho Chi Minh City, only 10 per cent of them recycled.
Mandalay outposts planned to stop wild elephant poaching
The proposal included the construction of six outposts that would be supported by villagers in the areas.