News
Mekong water level drops putting 60 million people at risk
The level of the Mekong River has fallen to “abnormal” levels, threatening the livelihoods of 60 million people living along its lower course. The river starts in China and winds its way for 4,350 km, crossing Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is vital for the ...
Tran Hung
Sand beach in Mekong River reopens, brings local economy to life
A popular sandy beach on an island in the Mekong River has been reopened to visitors, to the delight of local businesses, after being closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. The reopening last week of Had Hae beach, in tambon Nam Kam, ...
PATTANAPONG SRIPIACHAI
Myanmar’s troubled forestry sector seeks global endorsement after coup
In the midst of political chaos fomented by a Feb. 1 military coup of the government in Myanmar, the country’s forestry sector is seeking legitimization from the international community. A statement from the nationally privatized Myanmar Forest Products and Timber Merchants Association (MFPTMA), with an oddly ...
Mongabay.com
Labor Rights Groups Urge Cambodian Government to Assist Illegal Migrant Workers in Thailand
Cambodian labor rights officials on Friday called on their government to address challenges undocumented migrant workers in Thailand face obtaining legal employment on the eve of a registration deadline that could see tens of thousands deported or imprisoned after months being idled by coronavirus restrictions. Thailand’s ...
RFA’s Khmer Service. Translation by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Vietnamese firms to tackle plastic pollution in Ha Long Bay
Three Vietnamese companies have won a regional challenge to combat plastic waste in Ha Long Bay. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), the Vietnam Administration of Sea and Islands (VASI), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...
Exploring nine Ramsar sites of Vietnam
Vietnam became a member of the Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, in 1989. So far, nine wetlands in the country have been recognised as Ramsar sites – wetlands of international importance. The Ramsar Convention, signed in Iran’s Ramsar city in 1971, is an international treaty that ...
Mekong River at 'worrying' low level amid calls for more Chinese dam data
Water levels in the Mekong River have fallen to a “worrying level” in part due to outflow restrictions from Chinese hydropower dams upstream, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Friday, calling on Beijing to share all of its water data. The vital waterway has turned ...
Kay Johnson, Panu Wongcha-um
Vietnam’s economy is among the most vulnerable in the world to climate change impacts
While Vietnam has largely succeeded in combatting the coronavirus, COVID-19 is not the only crisis facing the country, as the threat posed by climate change is reported to be, in some ways, just as serious. According to the latest Global Climate Risk Index report, published in January, Vietnam’s ...
Umair Jamal
In Cambodia, this village shows even the wealthy are vulnerable to land grabbing
The river view behind the house was broad and serene, a wide expanse of the Mekong flowing just past the newly occupied villa. A pretty sight, and prime real estate too. So when the sand pumping crews showed up just after the housewarming party late last ...
ANDREW HAFFNER
Myanmar’s Prospects for Post-Coup Foreign Trade & Investment
Following Monday’s military coup, life in Myanmar appears to be rapidly returning to normal. However, big questions remain over what happens next and especially the prospects for existing and future foreign investment in the country. We examine the possibilities. What happened and why? The military moved in ...
Chris Devonshire-Ellis
