About 90% of marine plastic waste originates in 10 rivers in Asia,…

The Mainichi – About 88 to 95 percent of marine plastic waste is estimated to come from 10 rivers in Asia and Africa, according to a study by German researchers. And one of those rivers, the Mekong, is facing an increasing pollution crisis caused by plastic bags and bottles near its mouth in southern Vietnam. The research team at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig in Read More…

Mekong River Commission implements consultations on Lao hydropower…

Vietnam Plus – The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has recently decided to carry out consultations on the Pak Lay hydropower project in Laos, starting on August 8, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Vietnam’s consultation work is being held from August 2018 to February 2019 by the ministry and the Vietnam National Mekong Committee, with a focus on Read More…

An Epic Quest Aims to Find Giant Catfish Babies

National Geographic – Dark morning clouds hang over Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, as Zeb Hogan readies to head out on the muddy Mekong on a different kind of mission. Usually when the University of Nevada, Reno fish biologist—and host of the Nat Geo Wild TV show “Monster Fish”—goes out on the river, he’s in search of aquatic giants. This time he has his sights set Read More…

A FEW good collaborators

Lehigh University – Suppose you're a farmer cultivating crops in a major river basin. You rely on water from the river to irrigate your fields. But you're not the only one who depends on what is literally a liquid asset flowing through your landscape. The local utility company uses the river to provide electricity through hydropower. The county taps the river for municipal water. A variety Read More…

Efforts needed to preserve wetlands

Viet Nam News – Wetlands play a major role in preserving biodiversity and fighting climate change in Việt Nam, but the country is yet to establish firm strategies on how to preserve them. There are about 10 million hectares of wetlands in Việt Nam spreading across eight ecological zones, including the Red River Delta and Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta. They are classified into two types: Read More…

MRC monitors the flooding situation in Southern Laos closely

Mekong River Commission – The Mekong River Commission is monitoring closely the situation unfolding since 24 July on the flooding in Attapeu Province in southern Lao PDR due to the incident with the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Hydropower Project. According to notification document by the Lao government to the MRC, the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy project is located on Xe-Pian and Xe-Namnoy rivers in Champasak Read More…

Illegal fishing cases see decline

Khmer Times – Illegal fishing cases slumped by about 12 percent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries said in a report released yesterday. There were 1,447 cases of illegal fishing in the six months, down by 206 cases on last year. Of the 1,447 cases, 1,369 were in fresh water and 78 in the sea. In the Read More…

The dying rivers of ASEAN

Asean Post – With the Asian Games fast approaching, scheduled to be held from 18 August to 2 September 2018, officials in the Indonesian capital where the games are going to be hosted are scrambling in an all-out effort to prepare the host cities. Sporting venues in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta, Palembang, Bandung, Bogor, Bekasi and Subang are receiving their final touches, concrete river Read More…

Mekong region faces even greater forest losses, WWF warns

Asia Times – The Greater Mekong region – Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Yunnan in southern China – was once the world’s most densely forested area. But it has lost a third of its natural forest cover and could lose a further 15-30 million hectares by 2030 unless serious action is taken immediately, a top environmental group has warned. The region has experienced Read More…

Saving fish, inspiring sustainability

Khmer Times – To celebrate the National Fish Day, ministry officials, members of the USAID and Young Eco Ambassadors held different activities on June 1, all aiming to raise awareness on the importance of fish in the kingdom and promote sustainable fishing practices to keep rivers and lakes healthy and productive. Young Eco Ambassadors set out on an educational trip to Pursat and Kampong Read More…