Environment and natural resources

An irrigation scheme funded by Phase 2 of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Project has begun supplying water to boost crop yields for farming communities in Phongsaly province. The ceremony, which took place at the reservoir of the Level 6 Hydropower Station on the Ou River, marked ...

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) on Friday unveiled the first water-level monitoring station to be positioned atop the Lower Mekong River Basin. The station is part of a broader MRC plan to reduce vulnerability for millions of Southeast Asians whose lives and livelihoods downstream are ...

Almost a quarter of the waste found in Lao cities is plastic. Plastic waste is now found everywhere in the Lao environment, affecting fish catches, blocking drains, causing air pollution, and harming tourism destinations. The plan considers a “circular economy” approach to help achieve the ...

Smoke covered the skies in and around Xaythany District over the weekend, with residents complaining of the stench. Authorities have yet to make a statement regarding the fire, which is believed to have begun Saturday morning. The landfill site at KM 32 in Xaythany District, ...

Low water levels and a lack of sediment have affected the ecosystem and people’s livelihoods. Experts say the dams make the impact of periodic droughts in the Mekong basin worse and rob the river of the “pulse effect” that spreads water and nutrients that support ...

Luxembourg has provided EUR1 million (approx. USD1.13 million) in funding to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to assist Cambodia, the Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam to maintain the ecological functions of the Mekong River and strengthen resilience against climate risks, floods and droughts.The grant ...

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat has renewed its call for the six Mekong countries to urgently address regional low flows, water fluctuations and drought as the Lower Mekong River experiences record low flows for the third consecutive year. Keep reading  ...

Lao Agriculture looks to future as Land Resources Information Management System (LRIMS) currently permits public access to detailed future scenarios amid climate change for free with help from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).Access to climate ...

The two reports entitled “Status and Trends of Fish Abundance and Diversity in the Lower Mekong Basin during 2007–2018” (FADM) and “Social Impact Monitoring and Vulnerability Assessment 2018” (SIMVA) found that households continue to rely on water resources that are increasingly under pressures. Both reports ...

An MRC governance meeting has agreed to a new indicative date to conclude the prior consultation process of the 684-megawatt Sanakham dam.The Joint Committee also agreed to a revised road map to carry out the prior consultation process, following a special session of the Joint ...