As long as farmers can make more money from opium poppy than from other crops, the problem will continue. And as long as criminal groups can act with impunity in permissive environments, nothing will change.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Development essential for reconciliation, Daw Suu tells ethnic forum
Myanmar’s first Ethnic Sustainable Development Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, took place last week
Nearly one billion Asians in vulnerable jobs, says ILO
Despite nearly “full employment”, 51% of Cambodian workers are in vulnerable jobs, with Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam ranging between 47-58%.
New environmental bill overtly facilitates business: experts
Thailand is considering a new environmental law, that is widely criticized by scholars and the public for failing to resolve environmental problems
China’s Southeast Asian rail link is still far down the track
Though there’s progress on rail projects in Laos and Thailand, no one can predict when the dream will become true
Divisions harden over coal power plant in Kayin State
A Thai company planning to build a $2.8 billion power plant says its advanced technology will prevent damage to the environment, but nearby residents are sceptical.
Solar, wind may boost Mekong region energy Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/opinion/421529/solar-wind-may-boost-mekong-region-energy.html#JEZix1xjtssbrqaT.99
if Cambodia, Laos and Việt Nam take advantage of recent advances in renewable power generation and transmission technologies, they can achieve energy security
Experts decry Vietnam’s risky coal compulsions
With Vietnam planning to signigicantly increase its number of coal plants over the next decade, potentially posing great risks to the environment, international experts have advised the country to work on a cleaner path forward.
In a threatened Cambodian forest, hand-in-hand push to protect land and people
Cambodia’s deforestation rate is one of the fastest in the world, endangering wildlife as well as cultures that have long drawn on the forests for their livelihoods
China’s Supply of Cheap Energy to Southeast Asia Could Stall Hydropower Development: Analyst
An abundance of cheap power from China could stall Laos’ plans to become the “battery of Southeast Asia.”