The Mekong River Basin in Southeast Asia is undergoing extensive hydropower development, but the magnitude of related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are not well known.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Southeast Asia: hotspot for renewables or dumping ground for coal?
The various national power development plants (PDPs) do not yet adequately reflect the renewable future yet.
Belt and Road road corridors put half of Myanmar’s population at risk
Road projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative would provide transport to areas of the Ayeyarwady basin and surrounding areas, which are home to approximately 24 million people
Hydropower construction 90% complete
The developer has said natural-like fish ladders have been developed to enable fish to migrate upstream and downstream.
The price of productivity
The growing use of pesticides and chemicals to boost crop yields in Vietnam has led to an unfolding environmental and health crisis across the Mekong delta
Sesan villagers seek land titles
They are now seeking indigenous collective land status to protect themselves from being displaced by future development.
Myanmar Experiments with Drones to Replant Dwindling Mangroves
Myanmar has lost at least 1 million hectares of mangrove forest over the past several decades, making it more vulnerable to cyclones and climate change.
Should Vietnam abandon custom of burning paper offerings?
But in recent years, the practice has become associated with wastefulness, fire hazard and environmental concerns, with pollution becoming a major public health issue in Vietnam’s biggest cities.
Global coalition petitions to end fossil power in Vietnam as deadly future looms
Coal power pollution could increase CO2 emissions in Vietnam by 20 times and doom global efforts to curb warming.
Dams, Data and Decisions
This ‘Dams Observatory’ tracks all hydropower dams that are larger than 15 megawatts installed capacity, and/or those with a reservoir area of 0.5km2 or larger.