Showing 81 - 90 of 168
Salty water needs a fix
News, Editorial, Published on 09/02/2021
» From being an occasional problem, high levels of saline recorded in public tap water, a phenomenon linked with a number of health risks, looks set to become a permanent fixture for most of Bangkok and nearby provinces over the coming months and years.
Mekong 'dammed' by uncertainty
News, Published on 12/01/2021
» Last week, it was reported that Chinese authorities notified the Mekong River Commission (MRC) that Jinghong Dam in Yunnan province will reduce its rate of water discharge by half from the beginning of the month until late January. For communities living along the Mekong, unusual water fluctuations in the Mekong River are not new. This has been happening for more than a decade.
There's still hope for the Mekong
News, Published on 11/01/2021
» Until the onset of major dam construction in the higher elevations of the Mekong basin, its lower, broader reaches constituted the world's largest inland freshwater fishery and the mainstay for the employment, food security and nutrition for 60 or more million people. Tragically, over both of the last two May-October wet seasons, the mainstream experienced unprecedented low flows. In both years the normally reliable "flood pulse" was insufficient to meaningfully reverse the flow of Cambodia's Tonle Sap River to into its Great Lake, the "beating heart" of the fishery whose annual catch is directly proportional to its volume during the flood season.
Mekong drowned in water politics
News, Editorial, Published on 10/01/2021
» The mighty Mekong River is the heart and soul of Southeast Asia. Millions of livelihoods are linked to it, especially in terms of food, energy and water security. Besides giving birth to one of the planet's most biodiverse river basins, the transboundary nature of the river -- which begins its journey in the Tibetan plateau and flows 2,140km through China before entering downstream Southeast Asia -- means it is facing a threat to its existence like none before: hydropolitics.
Time to build back greener
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 07/12/2020
» Watching the deluge in Nakhon Si Thammarat and other southern provinces of Thailand has been really distressing. Days of heavy rains have left roads inundated, hogs have been swept away on livestock farms and human casualties are rising after incessant rain triggered forest runoff from the Khao Luang mountain range, flowing into the Nakhon Si Thammarat municipal area for the first time in 30 years.
Fight for the Mekong gathers pace
Oped, Passakorn Jumlongrach, Published on 26/11/2020
» More than 20 years ago, when two Chiang Rai-based environmentalists, Niwat Roikaew and Somkiat Kuenwongsa, learned that the Chinese government were blasting rapids in the upper Mekong River from Yunnan to Myanmar and Laos to clear the way for large commercial vessels, they started worrying.
Post-Covid era ripe for renewed climate action
Oped, Alok Sharma, Published on 07/11/2020
» Last week we marked one year to go until the COP26 international climate summit, which will be hosted in the UK. This will be a pivotal moment for the world to come together and agree ambitious steps to prevent the catastrophic warming of our planet.
Rice agenda needs unity
Oped, Editorial, Published on 02/11/2020
» The Thai Rice Exporters Association recently revised its estimation of Thai rice exports this year to five million tonnes, the lowest in 20 years, from a previous projection of 6.5 million tonnes.
Asean needs to act on Mekong River
Oped, Published on 30/09/2020
» Two events happened last month that went largely unnoticed by most of the mainstream media in Southeast Asia. One was the third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting between China and the five Mekong members of Asean -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The other was the inaugural Mekong-US Partnership Ministerial Meeting between America and the same Asean countries.
Mekong-US Partnership heralds united future
News, Published on 15/09/2020
» Having worked in the business world for over 20 years, I understand well the paramount importance of trusted partners in coming together to achieve a common goal. Whether you are negotiating a high-stakes business deal or building a regional power grid, success hinges on the integrity of those with whom you choose to work. Building on a relationship spanning two centuries, this week Thailand and the United States took an important step forward to work even closer together, elevating our already strong and dynamic relationship.