News
Southeast Asia losing tigers as deadline looms to double population by 2022
Tigers once roamed throughout the dense forested interior of mainland Southeast Asia and several islands of Indonesia. Positioned at the pinnacle of the food chain, tigers maintain ecosystem balance, and by protecting them, we can preserve entire biodiverse landscapes. However, the long-term survival of this flagship ...
Carolyn Cowan
Prosecuting women traffickers: breaking the cycle of double victimisation
All populations are vulnerable to human trafficking. This is a low-risk, high-reward criminal activity for male traffickers who benefit from the vulnerabilities of women. Human trafficking is enabled by patchy policing, low levels of prosecution, and underfunded prevention. Traffickers prey upon women and girls with ...
Christina Storm, Steven Baker, Rachel Tong
How Vietnam’s Rice-First Policy Weakened the Mekong Delta Against Climate Change
Citizens and government officials resorted to drastic measures this year to prepare for the annual dry season in Vietnam’s Mekong delta. As debate rages over the causes of and solutions to the drought, the government is building large reservoirs to deal with the increasingly dry delta. ...
Michael Tatarski
Japan to hold meeting with Mekong states including Myanmar on Aug. 6
Japan plans to hold a virtual foreign ministerial meeting next week with five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River, including Myanmar where the military seized power in a coup in February, Japanese government sources said Thursday. The meeting arranged for Aug. 6 comes after Japan ...
KYODO NEWS
Heavy rainfall eases drought effects in Mekong Delta
Recorded water levels in the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB) saw significant increases during the last seven days as a result of heavy rainfall and sudden water releases from dams, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on July 29. But it said river levels across all ...
UCA News reporter, Vientiane
In Laos, a Dubious Dam Threatens Luang Prabang
When investors in 2019 announced plans to build a massive hydroelectric dam on the Mekong River just upstream from Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital of the former Kingdom of Laos, they drew a slew of criticism. So much criticism, in fact, that UNESCO—which has ...
Nathan Thompson
Thailand’s hospitals under pressure as Covid crisis deepens
Thailand’s worsening Covid outbreak is placing intense pressure on hospitals, forcing doctors to treat patients in parking lots and turn away people who are severely ill. The country was widely praised for its Covid response last year, when it maintained one of the lowest caseloads in ...
Rebecca Ratcliffe and Navaon Siradapuvadol in Bangkok
Ministry of Water Resources issues warning of rising Mekong River levels, caused by Typhoon CEMPAKA
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has warned that the Mekong River will rise in the next three to four days, which could cause flooding in the lower Mekong Delta. Affected areas will be: Stung Treng, Kratie, Kampong Cham and other provinces. The rise of ...
Displaced Myanmar Civilians Denied UN Aid
United Nations aid to displaced people from Mindat, a mountainous town in Chin State which saw fighting between junta troops and civilian resistance fighters, is only reaching areas permitted by Myanmar’s regime. This week UN humanitarian organization the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delivered ...
THE IRRAWADDY
Mekong Delta attractive to renewable energy investment
Eleven of 13 cities and provinces in the region hold great potential for solar energy development, with average solar radiation of 1.387-1.534 Kwh per year. Coastal areas in the region have high potential to develop wind power, with wind speeds of 6.5-7m per second. Taking advantage of its natural conditions and investment ...
VNA