Showing 1 - 10 of 167
Taking on Bangkok's punishing heat
Oped, Danny Marks, Published on 03/05/2024
» As scorching temperatures blanket Thailand, setting new records in several regions, Bangkok and its outskirts are enduring the full force of the relentless heatwave. Bangkok sizzled under a heat index exceeding 52C on Tuesday, a measure that combines temperature and humidity to reflect how hot it actually feels. Tragically, heat-related fatalities in the country have reached 30 this year alone. A recent study reveals the unequal impact of urban heat intensity on Bangkok's residents, with lower-income individuals facing heightened heat stress during daily activities and rest.
Why solar and wind are not winning
Oped, Bjorn Lomborg, Published on 20/04/2024
» Despite us constantly being told that solar and wind are now the cheapest forms of electricity, governments around the world needed to spend US$1.8 trillion (66.3 trillion baht) on the green transition last year. "Wind and solar are already significantly cheaper than coal and oil" is how US President Joe Biden conveniently justifies spending hundreds of billions of dollars on green subsidies. Indeed, arguing that wind and solar is cheapest is a meme employed by green lobbyists, activists and politicians around the world. Unfortunately, as the $1.8 trillion price-tag shows, the claim is wildly deceptive.
Crisis in waste management
Oped, Editorial, Published on 09/04/2024
» The sight of our officials and ministers frantically searching for carcinogenic cadmium tailings is a reminder of how hopeless the state's toxic waste policy management has been. Without a major revamp, similar problems will only recur.
We need climate adaptation now
Oped, Published on 05/04/2024
» The announcement made by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) is a grim warning of record-high temperatures. The entire nation is bracing for scorching hot weather this month, with forecasters saying temperatures look set to reach 44.5 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. For example, the mercury level in the Thoen district of the northern Lampang province reached 42C on Monday and yesterday, the hottest temperatures for this year’s summer so far. Meanwhile, the TMD reported the temperature of Muang district was not far behind at 41.8C.
Building a much stronger food system in Laos
Oped, Published on 29/03/2024
» One of the smallest and most sparsely populated nations in Southeast Asia, the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, a mountainous, landlocked country wedged between Vietnam, Thailand and China, has long grappled with challenges associated with supplies of food. A recently released Food and Agriculture Organization/World Food Programme joint report warns that food insecurity continues to increase in Laos, last year affecting more than a million people out of the 7.2 million population.
China's hydro generators wait for the rains to come
News, Published on 27/03/2024
» China's hydro generation has been essentially flat for the last three years, despite commissioning several large new power plants, as a prolonged drought has sharply reduced river flows in the southwestern part of the country.
Quake recovery in Morocco: all 'phases' at once
Oped, Published on 29/02/2024
» It has been more than six months since that calamitous night in the High Atlas Mountains in the Kingdom of Morocco.
Royal Irrigation Department must change ways
Oped, Editorial, Published on 23/02/2024
» The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) keeps trying to start new megaprojects despite the fact these schemes are often opposed by local residents.
Is Cambodia a new agricultural power?
Oped, Published on 17/02/2024
» Hun Manet, the new Cambodian prime minister and son of the previous prime minister and former military general Hun Sen, recently announced the implementation of a new strategic policy for local agricultural development.
Aid must reflect vulnerabilities
Oped, Published on 13/02/2024
» Last October, at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund in Marrakesh, member countries emphasised the urgency of scaling up development finance. In recent years, an extraordinary confluence of health, climate, and security crises has worsened global inequalities and eroded the economic and social gains of the last few decades, especially in many African countries.