Environment and natural resources
Biodiversity
China's ivory ban sparks dramatic drop in prices across Asia
The price of raw ivory in Asia has fallen dramatically since the Chinese government announced plans to ban its domestic legal ivory trade, according to new research seen by the Guardian. Poaching, however, is not dropping in parallel.Undercover investigators from the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) ...
Trump withdraws U.S. from Paris Climate Accord; scientists respond
Donald Trump, who called climate change “a hoax” during his campaign, has withdrawn the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, rejecting a pact that is being honored by more than 190 nations.The U.S. signed and ratified the agreement under President Obama, and it is ...
China tells Donald Trump there is an 'international responsibility' to act over climate change
There is an “international responsibility” to fight climate change, China’s Premier Li Keqiang has said in a clear message to Donald Trump ahead of his expected announcement that the US will withdraw from the historic Paris Agreement.Despite widespread reports of the US’s imminent departure, Mr ...
Organisations discuss capacity for improved regional forest governance
The Center for People and Forests in partnership with the Lao Biodiversity Association and the World Wide Fund for Nature have launched a five year project to strengthen capacity in forest governance. Supported by the European Union, the project’s objective is to empower non-state actors ...
The Mekong and the battle for the ‘Mother of Rivers’
For wildlife enthusiasts in the region, these are exciting times. A horned lizard and rainbow-headed snake were among 163 delightful new species documented last year by scientists alongside 10 endangered Irrawaddy dolphin calves. Fewer than 90 Irrawaddy dolphins exist on the planet.But all is not ...
Meet the activists risking life and limb to protect rivers
In late March of this year, an unusual group of activists gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia for a four-day conference to strategize around stopping destructive hydropower projects across the globe. Hailing from countries as diverse as Chile, Congo, Albania, Mongolia, China, Thailand, and Colombia, they had ...
Nepal burns more than 4,000 confiscated wildlife parts
On Monday, the Nepalese government set fire to more than 4,000 items of confiscated wildlife parts in an attempt to demonstrate zero tolerance for the illegal wildlife trade. The stockpile included parts from 48 species, including 67 tiger skins, 418 common leopard skins, 354 elephant ...
Deep-sea fishing banned in Formosa spill area
Fishermen from the central provinces, which saw the Formosa spill, have been warned not to catch species living in the deepest levels of the ocean for 20 nautical miles offshore. Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình issued this advisory on Wednesday during a meeting with ...
Illegal meat confiscated
Koh Kong provincial authorities, in collaboration with the Wildlife Alliance, on Tuesday confiscated 50 kilos of illegal game meat as well as several wild animals that were still alive. The animals were released in Botum Sakor National Park while the confiscated meat was buried. Agriculture ...
Outrage over Mekong EIA process
Local activists and academics are angry that Chinese officials and companies working on the Mekong River Navigation Channel Improvement Project will be the decision maker on an Environmental Impact Assessment of the project. The TEAM Group of Companies, a Thai consultancy hired by the Chinese state-owned company, met ...
