From Washington, Men Kimseng reports for VOA Khmer… “The problem is not really about development and rights to development but it is about what kind of development, a short-term goal versus long-term cost,” Richard Cronin, director of the Southeast Asia Program of Henry L. Stimson Centre, told an auditorium organized by East-West Centre in Washington. [...]
SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE from THE NATION reports on villagers efforts to shore up the banks of The Mekong in Thailand… “After the completion of the Chinese dam in the Mekong, people downstream could not predict the water levels in the river,” said Bounkong Bounvas, village head of Ban Pak Ing Tai. “It could flood shortly after [...]
REUTERS Friday April 24, 2009 “We have to act now to contain this problem within the Mekong region. It must not be allowed to spread and become a regional and international threat,” Shin said. Latest clinical tests on about 20-50 people infected with the new strain and treated with artemisinin, the most effective drug available [...]
From Ho Chi Minh City Viet Nam News keeps us up to date on the increased scarcity of ground water in the delta… According to Dr Duong Van Vien of the Water Resources University-2nd Base in HCM City, excessive exploitation of groundwater in the Mekong Delta had seen levels drop from 12 to 15m. Vien [...]
‘Against The Flow’ has me scoffing… Ian Walker, the top London chef turned food guru and author, releases his much anticipated second book, ‘Against the Flow’, next month. Described by some as the ‘Culinary Bruce Parry’, Ian has captured all of the most exciting details of his latest quest, an intriguing and dynamic adventure that [...]
From Hanoi, Viet Nam News reports on a new initiative to improve water quality and sanitation for 1.8 million poor people living across three countries The initiative, with a likely budget of US$41 million, aimed to halve the proportion of people in Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam without access to quality water and sanitation services [...]
18th April 2009 | Down in the delta Viet Nam News brings us the plight of the rice farmers following heavy unseasonal rains… Farmers pay labourers in rice, not in cash. Hired workers are paid 50kg of rice for every 1,000sq.m of flattened crops they harvest, compared to the normal price of 40kg. Financial losses [...]
From labnews more on Zeb Hogans Megafishes project… Conservation biologist and the lead researcher on the expedition, Zeb Hogan of the University of Nevada Hogan said: “In terms of disk width, this is the second largest stingray I’ve seen, the largest was in Cambodia in 2003. This recent fish was very thick, so it may [...]
Julia Brownell from The Stanford Daily writes… “We were able to figure out how the water flows, and follow the chemistry of [the arsenic] as it moves down,” Fendorf said. The wells allowed the team to study the exchange of water between the river and the wetlands surrounding it. The wetlands are flooded by the [...]
Diem Thu for Thanh Nien Daily reports on one of Vietnam’s oldest musical forms. Inspired by traditional Chinese opera and tales from Chinese and Vietnamese history, mythology and folklore Tuong is noted for its highly stylized dancing, distinct make-up and ornate costumes. The audience can always tell whether a character is a hero or a [...]