The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have exhibited high growth rates over the past decades, weathering even the worst of the global financial crisis. This impressive growth and accompanying rise in household income has brought great benefits to the ASEAN population of nearly 600 million, including declining poverty and strengthened social safety nets in many countries.
Source: Asia Foundation
The threat of dams on the Mekong River
Laos refuses to stop construction, China has already built a half dozen, reports Asia Sentinel.
Two crucial decisions face authorities this week on the Mekong River, one of the world’s greatest waterways and the primary source of fish for 60 million people. The Mekong, the world’s greatest fishery, is under growing threat from a wide variety of sources as riparian countries, particularly China build more and more dams on its tributaries.
Source: Asian Correspondent
Cambodia
Cambodia's economy most at risk from climate change: Report
A report by the US credit ratings agency Standard and Poors says climate change and specifically global warming is going to be the second global mega trend that will affect sovereign credit risk.
Source: Environmental News Today
Wildlife Trade Endangering Cambodia’s Fauna
Phnom Penh — In many restaurants in Phnom Penh, wild meat is readily available. Walk into one of these, and you’ll be able to order deer, wild pig or even monitor lizards. Some places sell even rarer meat, from endangered animals like the pangolin.
Source: Voice of America
Lawmakers Updated on Major Dam on Mekong Tributaries
Phnom Penh — Ruling party lawmakers at the National Assembly held a hearing Thursday for an update on a major dam on the Sesan and Srepok rivers in Stung Treng province.
Source: Voice of America
Climate change plan sparse on particulars
The Ministry of Environment yesterday shared its vision for a greener, less-carbon-emitting, climate-resilient Cambodia, but presented few detailed steps towards getting there, and even fewer financial particulars.
Source: The Phnom Penh Post
HAGL filled in lakes: villagers
More than 100 families living in Ratanakkiri’s Lumphat district have filed a complaint with authorities, claiming a rubber giant – already accused of illegal logging – filled in two natural lakes, provincial officials said yesterday.
Source: The Phnom Penh Post
Lao PDR
Examining the impact of the Don Sahong Dam
This week the controversial Don Sahong Dam proposal was revisited by the 20th Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council Meeting in Bangkok on Thursday. The MRC discussed whether the proposal needed (as a mainstream project) to go through the prior consultation process instead of the simpler prior notification process the Laos government had already submitted.
Source: Asian Correspondent
Electric buses pose challenges for transport business
A Vientiane bus company is struggling with the use of battery-powered minibuses, with batteries taking too long to charge and not providing enough power to run the company’s fleet.
Source: Lao Voices
Myanmar
Stakeholders urge gov’t for more transparency in hydropower and mining
The multi-stakeholder group (MSG) comprising of government officials, civic bodies and investors has urged the Myanmar government to increase transparency in hydropower and mining sectors.
Source: Eco Business
WWF Report Reveals 26 New Species Discovered in Myanmar, Hundreds Across Greater Mekong
Yangon – A giant flying squirrel, a skydiving gecko, a fish that mates head-to-head, and an eyeless cave-dwelling spider are among the 367 new species revealed by scientists in the Greater Mekong region in 2012-2013, including 26 new species in Myanmar. The new species are described in WWF’s new report, Mysterious Mekong.
Source: WWF
The Myanmar Times: Inle under threat
Inle Lake is drying up, and could disappear within the next century if stronger measures are not taken to preserve it, experts warn.
Source: BurmaNet News
People’s Republic of China
China catches industrial polluters with drone missions
China is turning to aerial drones to monitor pollution, with its biggest mission to date finding illegal emissions by some of the largest industrial companies in the country’s northern provinces.
Source: Eco Business
China launches all pilot carbon trading schemes
Southwest China's Chongqing launched its carbon trading market on Thursday, marking the operation of all seven approved pilot schemes in the country.
Sixteen transactions worth more than 4.45 million yuan (723,577 U.S. dollars) and involving gas emission quotas of 145,000 tonnes were reached within half an hour after trading started at 9:30 a.m.
Source: China.org.cn
China's experts divided over carbon emissions peak
China's senior climate negotiator says his scientists are divided over when their carbon emissions will peak.
Reports earlier this week suggested that China would introduce an overall emissions cap by 2020.Speaking on the fringes of UN climate talks in Bonn, Xie Zhenhua said that his country was determined to peak "as soon as possible". But he said the experts weren't united and it wasn't possible to give a firm date at this point.
Source: BBC News
China plans to remove six million high-emission vehicles off the road this year to reduce pollution, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Tuesday.
Source: Eco Business
Global auto component makers gear up for China's tougher emission rules
Global companies that specialise in making vehicle emissions cleaner are rushing to take advantage of Beijing’s war on pollution, as Chinese automakers look to comply with tougher regulations in the world’s biggest auto market.
Source: Eco Business
Thailand
Joint efforts to restore Thailand's forests
Eco institute calls on key local, foreign firms to help boost forested area to 40%.The Thailand Environment Institute Foundation is targeting an increase in Thailand's forest area from 22 per cent nationwide to 40 per cent by 2017.
Source: Environmental News Today
Green Asia Part II – Samui Island, Thailand
The Green Journal is featuring three Low Carbon Model Towns (LCMT) in Asia-Pacific based on the feasibility studies conducted by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) with headquarter in Singapore. This is the second instalment of the series.
Source: Asian Correspondent
Viet Nam
Reservoir control to benefit millions in central region
More than 1.7 million people and thousands of hectares of rice in the central province of Quang Nam and Da Nang city will soon be protected from heavy flood and drought damage.
Source: Viet Nam Net
Hanoi to build nine solid waste plants
Ha Noi will build nine new solid-waste treatment plants and improve the capacity of 8 existing plants in the city by 2030.
Source: Eco Business
Green towns in the Asia-Pacific
With its white sand beaches and growing tourism development, city planners in Da Nang, Viet Nam are working on an innovative system of electric motorbikes and charging facilities as well as power generation from kitchen waste as part of an initiative to become a low carbon town.
Source: Eco Business
Denmark invests in green energy in Vietnam
Denmark is seeking cooperation with Vietnam in the energy sector on the back of its effective use of renewable energy.
Source: Viet Nam Net
Old forests cut down as Chinese traders order unripe beans
Forests in the districts of Son Ha, Tay Tra and Son Tay in the central province of Quang Ngai are being cut down to sell unripe Sterculia lychnophora beans, which locals call “uoi”, to sell to Chinese businesspeople.
Source: Eco Business
Published: 6th July 2014