Environment and natural resources

A confluence of drought and dams along the Mekong River has renewed concerns about the future of the 4,700-kilometer waterway. Upon which tens of millions of people depend for their livelihoods in China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.The number of dams impeding the Mekong’s flow ...

A Chinese-owned factory in Laos that recently started operations is causing noise and air pollution that affect the health of nearby residents in the country’s Bolikhamxay province.The factory, which produces packing foam for use in transporting bananas, is made up of one building situated on ...

The mighty Mekong River, normally a vast expanse of brown, has taken on a bluish hue, making it appear like seawater in some areas.Residents of both Thakhek in Laos, and Nakhon Phanom in Thailand, have noted the blue color of the Mekong River in recent ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The Agro-Biodiversity Initiative (TABI) is continuing to encourage rural people in three northern provinces to expand their fish preservation efforts at designated conservation reservoirs.The project, which was launched in 2009, has increased the number of conservation areas to 262. Fishing is ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Household air pollution from both cooking fires and tobacco is highly prevalent; nearly three-quarters of all households surveyed reported exposure to smoking in the home and exposure to indoor cooking fire smoke.When multiple sources of exposure are evaluated together, a third ...

The government is accelerating efforts to boost farmers’ yields to meet national food security strategy and production targets by 2020 in response to global climate change.Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr Lien Thikeo made the statement during a recent address to mark World Food Day.He ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The Department of Forestry and WWF-Laos have begun the Lao side of an ambitious project to protect the forests and wildlife of southern Laos and central Vietnam.The project will run for six years and cost EUR 3.3 million (over 32 billion kip) ...

(KPL) Mekong River Commission has urged lower Mekong countries to put in place a more proactive regional approach to basin planning and management, with an enhanced and systematic information sharing mechanism and robust monitoring of river flow.MRC said in its annual report “the State of ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the National University of Laos (NUOL), Hanoi University of Sciences and other organisations are reporting progress in efforts to reduce plastics use under the “SEA Plastic Edu Erasmus+ Project”.The European Union is supporting the project ...

With plans for cross-border electricity grids growing in the region, Laos is banking on hydropower exports to earn revenue. But a recent deal to also sell coal power generated in Laos to Cambodia has sparked environmental concerns over this trade.Last month, Cambodia’s state-owned utility firm ...