This atlas is a study of climate and agroclimate in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for the period 1990–2019 based on the downscaling of long-term observation data. It has been produced as part of the “Strengthening Agro-Climatic Monitoring and Information Systems (SAMIS) to improve adaptation to climate change and food …
A wildly-colored gecko, a fish that looks like a gherkin, and a monkey with an Elvis-like hairstyle are among the more than 200 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year, environmental group WWF said on Monday. The area's diversity is so astonishing that a new species is …
Interpol on Wednesday launched a new campaign to coordinate the global fight against tiger poaching, warning that failure to protect the endangered cats would have economic and social repercussions. The international police organisation said it was imperative that the 13 nations where tigers can still be found work together to …
Indonesia, the current chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), has provided financial assistance to the six Asean countries currently affected by natural disasters. The Indonesian government is providing Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines with $ 400,000, Vietnam with $ 500,000 and Thailand with $ 1,000,000, said a …
Rapidly growing megacities in Africa and Asia face the highest risks from rising sea levels, floods and other climate change impacts, says a global survey aimed at guiding city planners and investors. The study by risk analysis and mapping firm Maplecroft, released on Wednesday, comes as the United Nations says …
More than 100 people were killed in flash floods caused by heavy storms in central Myanmar this week, an official said on Sunday. “So far, 35 dead bodies were found out of 106 missing people. The other 71 people are also believed to have been killed in the floods” on …
Massive floods have ravaged vast swathes of Asia’s rice bowl, threatening to further drive up food prices and adding to the burden of farmers who are among the region’s poorest, experts say. About 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) of paddy fields in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have been …
This report provides an overview on indigenous peoples in five REDD+ countries in Asia, namely, Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand and the status of REDD+ implementation in these five countries. It also elaborates on the concerns of indigenous peoples in the current readiness phase and on national REDD+ strategies …
The Mekong river is the stuff of legends. British travel writer H Warrington Smyth in 1895 wrote: “The first view of the Mekong fairly took one’s breath away.” He might be more breathless to hear of the multiple dams planned for this great river. Like the Indus, the Mekong is …
This policy brief outlines short, medium- and long-term policy responses and interventions that governments and central banks in the region can make to counter the adverse impact of food inflation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Southeast Asia is a region of enormous social, economic, and political diversity, both across and within countries, shaped by its history, geography, and position as a major crossroad of trade and the movement of goods and services. These factors have not only contributed to the disparate health status of the …
Within the framework of the project "Sustainable insect farming and harvesting for better nutrition, improved food security, and household income generation," which kicked off in January 2011, FAO began introducing small-scale cricket farming at the School for Gifted and Ethnic Students, National University of Laos (NUoL).
Biomass burning is an essential part of slash-and-burn (S&B;) agriculture, which is widely practiced as an important food production system in the tropical mountains of southeast Asia.S&B; agriculture used to be sustainable and carbon neutral; CO2 emissions by biomass burning were balanced with photosynthetic biomass growth and land use was …
The seasonal variability of biomass open burning activities in the Greater Mekong sub-region (GMS) with focus on carbon monoxide (CO) and total particulate matter or aerosol (TPM) emissions was investigated in order to document the characteristics of this significant source of air pollutants in the region.
One of Asia's poorest countries officially inaugurated a $1.3 billion hydroelectric dam on December 9 that is earning badly needed revenue and could set new global standards for limiting environmental damage and improving the lives of those displaced. The dam in central Laos was the first major hydroelectric project supported …
The Chinese government on Thursday mounted a defence of its dams on the Brahmaputra and Mekong rivers, assuring its seven neighbours, including India, who have voiced concerns about the projects that downstream flows will remain unaffected. Besides India, which raised the construction of a 510 MW dam on the Brahmaputra …
Nepal needs at least US$ 42.7 million from the international community and conservation partners to carry out conservation programmes to meet the global tiger recovery goal and double the wild population of tigers, a meeting was told here on Friday. As part of celebrations for the International Tiger Year 2010, …
Southeast Asia is recognized as a region of very high biodiversity, much of which is currently at risk due to habitat loss and other threats. However, many aspects of this diversity, even for relatively well-known groups such as mammals, are poorly known, limiting ability to develop conservation plans. This study …
Bangladesh joins hand with 12 other Tiger Range Countries (TRC) to save global tiger population. Tiger is treated as one of the most critically endangered animals fast disappearing from the world. Only 3,200 big cats [Penthera Tigris] of five sub-species exist in the wild of 13 countries including Bangladesh. Back …
Many international statements have urged researchers, policy-makers and health care providers to collaborate in efforts to bridge the gaps between research, policy and practice in low- and middle-income countries. We surveyed researchers in 10 countries about their involvement in such efforts. The authors surveyed 308 researchers who conducted research on …
