An U.S. environmental group is denouncing a report commissioned by Laos that recommends going ahead with a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Mekong River. The group, International Rivers, says the study by a Swiss-based company (Poyry Energy AG) represents “a desperate bid” by Laos to gain approval for the multi-million dollar Xayaburi Dam from neighboring […]
Environmental Group Blasts Study on Mekong Dam Project
Posted November 9th, 2011 at 4:40 am (UTC-5)
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China, Neighbors Plan Armed Security Force for Mekong Region
Posted November 9th, 2011 at 2:50 am (UTC-5)
Chinese officials say China and several of its neighbors will soon begin armed patrols in an area of the Mekong River where 13 Chinese crewmen were killed by suspected drug traffickers last month. State-controlled media quoted a Ministry of Public Security official Wednesday saying the special force will begin the patrols next month. Shipping executives […]
Mekong Countries Meet in Beijing on River Security
Posted October 31st, 2011 at 5:45 am (UTC-5)
Officials from four Mekong River countries met in Beijing Monday to establish joint security procedures in an area where attackers killed 13 Chinese crewmen on two river boats early this month. Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu hosted the meeting, which was also attended by senior officials from Burma, Laos and Thailand. Meng said the […]
Hundreds Killed in Worst Mekong Flooding Since 2000
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 9:40 am (UTC-5)
More than 150 people have died in Cambodia and southern Vietnam in the worst flooding along the Mekong River in 11 years. Officials in both countries say flood waters have inundated thousands of hectares of farm land, swamped homes, washed away bridges and forced thousands of people to evacuate. The situation could get worse if […]
Environmental Group Sounds Alarm for Endangered Dolphins
Posted August 17th, 2011 at 7:30 am (UTC-5)
The environmental group World Wildlife Fund is seeking help for the highly endangered freshwater dolphins of the Mekong River, whose numbers have fallen to just 85. A statement released Wednesday by the group says the Irrawaddy dolphins, who inhabit a 190-kilometer-long stretch of the Mekong from Kratie, Cambodia to the Khone Falls, on the border […]
US Senators Urge Protection for Mekong River
Posted July 7th, 2011 at 6:00 pm (UTC-5)
A group of U.S. senators is urging Washington to use its “voice and vote” in international institutions to ensure strict environmental safeguards for the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. The senators, led by Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia, introduced a resolution in the Senate Thursday. It calls on U.S. representatives in such global institutions as […]
Environmental Group Says Laos Approved Dam Project, Ignoring Neighbors’ Concerns
Posted June 23rd, 2011 at 12:55 am (UTC-5)
An environmental group says Laos appears determined to build a multi-billion dollar dam on the Mekong River, despite neighboring countries’ concerns about the project’s economic and environmental impact. U.S.-based International Rivers says it has obtained a letter sent earlier this month from Laos’ energy ministry to the Thailand-based developer of the Xayaburi dam, saying the […]
