In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
The European Parliament begins debate March 11 on a resolution to consent to the recently signed Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with Vietnam on the trade of timber and timber products from the Southeast Asian country. The VPA is the result of nearly eight years of negotiations aimed at stopping the …
Based on a literature review, this brief presents key findings and recommendations to understand the current state of scientific knowledge on the policies and practices for water management in times of scarcity in the Mekong Region. Managing water resources in an equitable and sustainable manner in the context of climate …
This paper develops a conceptual framework with an indicator-based approach to assess Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs) and applies it to case study sites in Lao PDR (Ekxang CSV), Cambodia (Rohal Suong CSV), and Vietnam (Tra Hat CSV) in Southeast Asia. The intensification, extensification, diversification, commercialization, alteration of practices, use of common …
The news that over 7,500 kilograms of pangolin scales have been seized in the last five years in Cameroon has again brought to light the devastating reach of international poaching and trafficking in Africa. Even more shocking, this month, was the seizure in Vietnam of 2,500 kg of pangolin scales …
During the Vietnam War, United States aircraft sprayed more than 20 million gallons of herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, on the country's rain forests, wetlands, and croplands. Agent Orange defoliated the thick jungle vegetation concealing Viet Cong fighters and destroyed a portion of the country's food crops, but it was …
Viet Nam is among the 196 Parties in the Paris Agreement that has committed to low-emission development pathways. The country has formulated national climate change mitigation strategies that relate to forestry and agricultural sector, with a potential revision in 2019 that can include agroforestry (AF), provided that the potential mitigation …
The safe recovery of nutrients from our waste streams allows us to address the challenges of waste management and soil nutrient depletion conjointly. Commercialization of waste-based organic fertilizers such as FortiferTM (fecal sludge-based co-compost) has the potential to generate significant benefits for developing economies via cost recovery for the sanitation …
Illegal ivory is widely available in physical and online retail outlets throughout Viet Nam according to a new TRAFFIC report published with support from USAID. The study, “From Tusk to Trinket: Persistent illegal ivory markets in Viet Nam,” documents surveys carried out at 852 retails outlets in 13 locations and …
Insufficient regulation and fossil fuel subsidies are holding back Southeast Asia’s transition to a low carbon economy, according to a new report released by Eco-Business. Government, business and civil society leaders across the region said the absence of tougher regulations around environmental standards was the biggest obstacle to their country …
This handbook provides practical guidance for planning and implementing community-led ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in three vulnerable ecosystems: mountains, drylands and coastal areas. It is intended for project managers, practitioners and technical specialists. The guidance is structured around eight key steps in the project cycle, and includes general implementation protocols for …
In a major wildlife trafficking bust, Cameroon authorities have arrested six men for smuggling more than 700 kilograms of endangered pangolins and pangolin scales from the Central African Republic to Vietnam. Central Africa is a hotspot for illegally sourcing the scaly anteater for Asia, where its meat and scales fetch …
Tropical storm Bebinca weakened as it made landfall in northern Vietnam on Friday, flooding some villages in one province but there were no reports of major damage. Vietnam had put thousands of soldiers on standby, readied evacuation plans and ordered vessels to stay in port on Thursday ahead of the …
Le Dinh Luong has been accused of taking part in activities aimed at 'overthrowing the state' - charges Amnesty says are political. 'For peacefully campaigning on behalf of fishermen affected by an environmental disaster, Le Dinh Luong could face a life sentence or even the death penalty,' Amnesty's Clare Algar …
- Floods from a burst dam in Laos have inundated thousands of hectares of paddy fields in Vietnam’s rice-growing Mekong Delta region, officials said on Wednesday, although the damage is limited and not expected to affect the country’s export crop. A saddle dam that was part of Laos’ $1.2 billion …
Vietnam is considering evacuating over 14,000 households in Hanoi amid concerns that recent heavy rains could inundate a flood-prone district in an outlying area of the Southeast Asian country’s capital. The rains have raised the water level at the Bui River, 20 km (12 miles) from downtown Hanoi, to an …
The food industry today faces a daunting task: feeding 10 billion mouths in a fair and sustainable way by 2050. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, food supply must more than double in 30 years to provide for the entire world. One in nine people around the …
But most are still in the early stages of creating waste management strategies and passing laws needed to implement them. According to the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., more than half of the world’s plastic waste can be found in five Asian countries: China, …
Authorities in Vietnam are taking major steps to improve the air quality in one of the most polluted cities in Southeast Asia, including an ambitious plan to ban motorbikes by 2030. In 2016, Hanoi had the second worst air pollution in the region, only beaten by Saraburi, in Thailand's industrial …
The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by tropical storm Son Tinh rose to 27 on Tuesday, and seven people are still missing, the government’s Disaster Management Authority said. With a long coastline, Vietnam is prone to destructive storms and flooding, with 389 people killed last year in natural …
HANOI (Reuters) - Tropical storm Son Tinh has killed 20 people, left 16 missing and injured 14 in Vietnam, the country’s rescue committee said on Saturday. Floods triggered by heavy rains hit northern Vietnam after tropical storm Son Tinh made landfall in northern coastal areas on Thursday, while the capital …
