This report, “International Labour Migration in a Changing Climate”, provides insights from Malaysia and Thailand on how, and in what contexts, international labour migration can be a viable adaptation strategy to climate change. The report provides experiences and perspectives of migrant workers, employers and government representatives on the topic. This …
harlan Watson, the high-profile us senior climate change negotiator and special representative, arrived in Delhi on April 29, 2002. On the same day, the Confederation of Indian Industry (cii) began closed-door parleys with the Washington-based think-tank, Atlantic Council. Watson did the rounds of various ministries even as cii got on …
Beast Threat Many animals, under threat from humans, have gone locally extinct. A recent report of the Wildlife Conservation Society (wcs) states that Asia's wildlife is in trouble due to indiscriminate hunting and illegal trade in animal parts. Tigers across Indo-China have disappeared. They were hunted down as trophy and …
Safe Shrimps Antibiotics are good in medicines but not in shrimps. The government insists "there is no trace of the antibiotic nitrofuran in its shrimp exports to the European Union (eu).' This announcement came after the eu decided to test shrimp from Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand for illegal chemicals. The …
The Thai navy has said that a gas tanker, which sank off the eastern coast of Thailand in 1996, is posing threat to passing ships and should be removed immediately. The sunk tanker still has its cargo of liquefied petroleum gas (lpg) which rose up to the surface recently. Because …
What is the general understanding of the term ‘pesticides’? In the Asian and South Asian countries, people often term pesticides as ‘medicines’. I have heard this in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and India. This is a wrong notion that the pesticide manu facturers have succeeded in implanting in the minds …
In a bid to break the impasse over the Thailand-Malaysia gas pipeline project, the Thai government has asked local oil and gas company ptt Plc to assess opposition to the project and decide on how to proceed. The project has been delayed several times earlier because of local concerns over …
Unmasking the dragon Two and three wheeler population is exploding in Asia. The health implications are scary: they emit dangerous pollutants that have gone unnoticed till now ASIANS are riding high on dragons that they cannot get off. The dragons are small but far too many. Consider this: About 85 …
for years the rainforests of Assam have suffered the ignominy of isolation and neglect. Attempts are now underway to conserve this national heritage with active public participation. As a measure of this enterprise, a three-day festival rejoicing the cultural and spiritual links between these rainforests and the local communities was …
the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (irri) has admitted that it had allowed us rice-breeders to take out Thai jasmine rice seeds without signing the Material Transfer Agreement (mta). Not only has the institute's move drawn flak from jasmine rice farmers in Bangkok, it has led genetic conservators and farm …
banning logging is an important tool for halting the degradation of forests, but it seldom corrects the underlying causes of deforestation. This intriguing fact was recently stated in a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (fao). Moreover, the report claims that ban on logging harms forests and local communities …
Why has a ban been imposed on shark hunting in particular? Sharks have a vital role in the marine ecosystem since they are the apex predator at the top of the marine food chain. But today they are almost extinct, being a major target of the fish hunters. Their slow …
Human activities are releasing tiny particles (aerosols) into the atmosphere. These human-made aerosols enhance scattering and absorption of solar radiation. They also produce brighter clouds that are less efficient at releasing precipitation. These in turn lead to large reductions in the amount of solar irradiance reaching Earth's surface, a corresponding …
Despite the absence of commercial approval for genetically engineered Bt cotton in any Asian country outside China, it is spreading fast. Weak or non-existent biosafety legislation and a lack of government concern mean that Bt cotton is finding its way into farmers' fields by deception and default. This article summarises …
The sales of Thai restaurants serving shark's fin soup have declined significantly after an international environmental organisation released a report stating that the mammal's fins contained mercury. Fifteen restaurants of Bangkok claim they have suffered a loss of about us $2.3 million after the report was released by the us …
Environmentalists have warned that a popular carnivorous freshwater turtle species imported to Sri Lanka is posing a serious threat to the country's indigenous fish species and aquatic animals. The turtle, known as the red eared slider (Trachymis scripta), is classified under the world's worst invasive species by the International Conservation …
a wide range of opinion continues to exist on whether genetically modified (gm) crops pose a significant risk to human health. But there is a growing consensus on one important aspect of the debate: greater public investment is needed in the research used to justify claims that such crops are …
The Thai government will use the satellites of the National Aeronautical Space Administration ( nasa ) to assess the spread of the country's worst outbreak of malaria in five years. The satellites will be used for surveying malaria-affected regions. The number of patients affected by the disease has increased tenfold …
Natural gas-powered cars called Enviro 2000 are being introduced in Thailand by Petronas, Malaysia's state oil company. The cars are being introduced to promote the use of the ecofriendly fuel. Petronas has signed a three-year pact with the Petroleum Authority of Thailand to introduce the five-seater cars. Officials of Petronas …
