The fact that we are late climbers on to the renewable energy bandwagon and continue to express reservations and hesitation in exploiting solar and wind energy (which Vietnam has in abundance) will indirectly boost growth in the types of energy that damage the environment severely, like thermal and hydropower plants.
Category: Opinion
Collection of opinions relevant to the Mekong environment published in media outlets across the globe.
Rivers can be climate change solutions, too
Rivers and their floodplains have the potential to act as shock absorbers to climate change, but the Mekong River illustrates the harsh reality communities face when infrastructure is poorly planned.
ASEAN Not Doing Enough For Its Wildlife
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) – which has a long history of using animal ingredients – is a key pillar of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and remains a profitable incentive to keep the trade alive.
Plastic waste is a growing menace, and a wasted opportunity
In Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, more than 75% of the material value of recyclable plastic is lost — the equivalent of $6 billion a year when single-use plastic is discarded rather than recovered and recycled,
Mekong hurt by sweet talk
Indeed, China has a big role in the framework given that it has financially contributed to most projects, if not all, under the MLC. But this does not necessarily mean the superpower should enjoy a free hand.
Cambodia blocks Angkor Wat resort, will Laos stop the dam at its UNESCO site?
hough Laos may not respect UNESCO’s wishes, the argument that the dam goes against the government’s own promises regarding the country’s national identity is compelling. Though Laos may not see the enormous risks involved in the Luang Prabang dam, it may be able to recognize its own commitments.
Thailand’s Indigenous Peoples fight for ‘land of our heart’
“…a further 1.6 million hectares (4 million acres) of Indigenous and local community lands lack legal recognition, almost three times those surveyed in official figures.”
Don’t take toxic air problem lightly
If the country is to be marketed as a safe and premier destination as the world begins to slowly reopen, it must not flounder. Otherwise, forget about tourists and get ready to see a flight of people leave the region as they move to other parts of the country for a better life and better prospects.
Women bear highest cost of injustice
A large number of women in Thailand, like Soithip, have been evicted from their ancestral homes in the name of “conservation”. Villagers who have been living and farming in areas subsequently designated national parks, are having their rights and customary practices curtailed. In the case of Bang Kloi, officials burned down their houses and rice barns in 2011 to force them to relocate.