Environment and natural resources policy and administration

It’s estimated that deforestation is responsible for about 10 percent of global carbon emissions. Of course, in addition to the direct emissions created, the destruction of a forest means the removal of a valuable carbon sink, as well, which is why deforestation represents a “double ...

Phnom Penh deputy governor Ieng Aunny on March 28 acknowledged that the capital continues to struggle with waste management despite recent decentralisation measures, laying the blame with districts’ and communes’ lack of awareness of their new responsibilities, as well as what he characterised as contractor ...

The Vietnamese legal framework and policies regarding transparency in the mining sector is “fairly comprehensive”, however, implementation of such policies leaves a lot to be desired, according to a study by the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The research on transparency compliance lamented ...

For years, Tran Thi Nga was subjected to harassment and brutalization by the Vietnamese authorities, the details of which emerged in a fresh Human Rights Watch report published earlier this year. She was finally arrested in January for using the using “the Internet to post ...

Despite many regulations favoring energy-saving construction, Vietnam still has few green buildings. The rapid development of the middle-class, which uses air-conditioners regularly, is a major reason behind the increasingly high electricity consumption in large cities of Vietnam, according to EuroCham. Tomaso Andreatta, chair of EuroCham’s Green ...

JA Solar Vietnam, a subsidiary of Chinese JA Solar Group, is building a big $280 million solar panel plant in Bac Giang province, though it has still not submitted a report on the possible impact on the environment as stipulated by law. The Bac Giang provincial ...

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand says it will launch a new environmental and health impact assessment for the planned coal-fired power plant in Krabi and an environmental impact assessment for its deep-sea port within three months. The studies will take two years to complete ...

Japan has signed a three-year deal to help train government officials on attracting environmentally friendly investment. The Environment Ministry and Japan International Cooperation Agency on March 6 signed the agreement to educate officials about how to use environmental impact assessments and enforce pollution controls. The project is ...

The Ministry of the Environment signed an agreement yesterday afternoon with the Japan International Cooperation Agency in an effort to improve the Ministry of the Environment’s capacity to curb pollution and review environmental impact assessments for development projects. “[JICA] will deploy advisers and discuss with officers ...

Xayaboury province is opening up its largest forest as one of its visitor attractions, hoping to draw more people to experience its natural beauty and raise its profile as a tourist destination. Director of the province’s Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Mr Chanthi Simanichan, said ...