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Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.

At the Borders of Ecological Destruction

By Nantiya Tangwisutijit

A new year is often a time for joyful celebration. But Pianporn Deetes bid farewell to 2015 with a heavy heart.

“The Administrative Court gave me the most cruel Christmas ever. My spirit was dampened throughout the New Year period,” she said.

Pianporn is remembering her experience listening to the ruling on the Xayaburi Dam on Dec 25. The lawsuit — in which 37 villagers from eight provinces in Thailand affected by the project sued the Energy Ministry and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for allegedly signing a power purchase agreement illegally — is a landmark case since it was the first time people have gone to court for environmental and community rights protection from a transborder project championed by the Asean Economic Community (AEC). The dam is now being constructed, with investment from Thailand, on the Mekong River in Laos. When finished, over 90% of electricity from the dam will be sold to Thailand.

Energy crisis predicted after 2020

By Nantiya Tangwisutijit

Myanmar may face an energy crisis after 2020 as oil and gas production has declined and the newly discovered sites are not ready to fill the gap, according to Than Tun, an adviser to Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprises under the Ministry of Energy.

“We cannot expect what will happen beyond 2020. The newly discovered Shwe Yee Tun block has good prospects. There may be a gap beyond 2020,” said Than Tun, who is also a retired director from the energy ministry. He was speaking at a conference called Changes for Myanmar Oil and Gas Sector, 2016-21 at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Yangon.

Report recommends actions to increase Cambodia’s renewable energy use

By Nantiya Tangwisutijit

The Cambodian National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD), in collaboration with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners, launched a report today that highlights Cambodia’s need to set a formal target for renewable energy generation for sustainable and secure economic growth.

The independent report entitled “Switching On: Cambodia’s Path to Sustainable Energy Security,” supported by the USAID-funded Mekong Partnership for the Environment (MPE) project, recommends that the Cambodian government clarify laws on renewables – such as rooftop solar power – to supply electricity.

Thermopower plants’ fate questionable as Vietnam tries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

By Nantiya Tangwisutijit

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has assigned the Energy Institute to adjust the seventh electricity generation development plan (PDP 7) before being submitted to the Prime Minister for approval.

Experts have repeatedly warned that the forecast demand and the required investment capital are high, which will put a heavy burden on the national economy.

However, there is another reason cited to adjust PDP 7: the plan does not show appropriate attention to sustainable development in electricity generation. With the plan, Vietnam will still heavily rely on coal thermopower plants.

Gold mining, conflict threaten Myanmar’s Indawgyi Lake

By Paritta Wangkiat

Khaung Tong Creek was a 1.5-meter deep, pristine creek some 10 years ago, but these days this important tributary of Kachin State’s famed Indawgyi Lake is just a little stream some 10 cm deep, filled with red-brownish mud.

Local villagers said years of unregulated gold mining several kilometres away has caused the environmental degradation as dumped waste and chemicals has flowed into the stream.

Water management requires a more holistic view

By Nantiya Tangwisutijit

As of Tuesday, the combined amount of usable water retained in seven major dams, including Bhumibol and Sirikit, that feed the Central plains stood at around 3,300 million cubic metres, or 18 per cent of their combined capacity of around 24,700 million cu.

The National Water Resources Committee (NWRC) came up with this figure at the end of November as it does every year, and after seeing these numbers, I must say it is of serious concern and I wonder how we will be able to survive yet another drought.

Solar Power in the Spotlight

By Nantiya Tangwisutijit

The government should invest more in sustainable energy, with a focus on solar power, experts told a conference on energy security yesterday, adding that this could reduce Cambodia’s dependence on large-scale hydropower projects and coal-fired plants.

John McGinley, managing director of the Mekong Strategic Partners, told the conference at the Himawari that although solar power would not entirely replace existing energy sources, greater use of solar energy would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. Mr. McGinley added that the installation cost of solar power is affordable compared to large hydropower and coal-fired generators.
Cambodia’s electricity is mainly derived from hydropower, coal plants, and imported energy from Thailand and Vietnam. According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the country’s six hydropower dams generate about 60 percent of total electricity.

Chinese mine firm promises to respect residents

By Paritta Wangkiat

Official Chinese representatives from the Shwe Htun Pauk company have said that they will stop their operations if they face continued opposition from residents.

The company, officially licensed to mine gold and other minerals at the Tanintharyi River near Maw Hta village, held a meeting about water pollution with around 40 residents, Dawei-Myeik representatives of the Karen National Union and regional civil groups.

Is SEZ on Boon Reung forest; destroying Chiang Khong and Mae Kong River?

By Paritta Wangkiat

There is high possibility that the Special Economic Zone will take away more than 1,190 acres of Boon Rueng forest from the community. There is also equally possibility that the Mekong River ecosystem will be destroyed if Boon Rueng forest transform into Special Economic Zone according to Thailand’s Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha’s vision. The abundant Boon Rueng forest in this wetlands is currently being nominated for SEZ consideration by Joint Public Private Committee, Office of the Permanent Secretary of Interior. If approve, half of the forest will be replaced with factories. According to the survey, there are more than 60 species of plants and 211 species of animal, especially endangered species such as Fishing Cat in Boon Rueng forest. Obviously, Boon Rueng forest is not ‘degraded forest’ as it was claimed.

CSOs Ask to Be Heard in Timber Trade Talks With China

By Paritta Wangkiat

A network of some 150 civil society organizations (CSOs) have called for their voices to be heard in bilateral timber trade talks between Burma and China supported by Western aid agencies.

The groups expressed concern about a lack of attention being paid to those who would be most affected by the projects, expected to benefit the Myanmar Timber Enterprise, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry that is in control of harvesting rights.