Environment

The wildlife butchers' club in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is labelled as a popular smuggling hub for illegal trading; whether it is human trafficking, drug abuse or illegal animal trade. These practices are driven by poor monitoring and law enforcements within the region. While money is the usual modus operandi for other criminal activities, illegal wildlife trade is often backed by customary beliefs and demands from TCM (traditional Chinese medicine).

13 September 2017
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Weathering the storm in Southeast Asia

As a serious issue that is gripping the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asia Nations) region, climate change has unwittingly been overlooked by the association.

10 September 2017
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The 'siren call' of marine ecotourism in ASEAN

Like grains of sand by the seaside, the diversity within ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asia Nations) countries is not limited to the cultures in the ten countries populated with 625 million souls.

9 September 2017
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Climate change dilemma driven by urbanisation

Southeast Asia is a colourful region — blessed with dense rainforest, gorgeous beaches, incredible wildlife and people that share diverged traditions and cultures. It also has some remarkable urban centres – stimulated by immense economic growth, derived from trade and tourism.

26 August 2017
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Elephant hit by tourist bus dies

A wild elephant in Malaysia has died after being hit by a tourist bus on a busy highway, an official said Friday, the second pachyderm to meet its end in the area in two months.The 10-year-old bull was killed on the road connecting the western state of Perak with Kelantan in the east, which passes through thick jungle."A bull elephant was knocked down by a bus and died.

26 August 2017
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Rice to riches: Vietnam's shrimp farmers fish for fortunes

With a flashy gold watch and a chunky matching ring, Tang Van Cuol looks a far cry from the average Vietnamese farmer as he slings back a shot of rice wine and boasts about his projected earnings. After years scratching a living growing rice and onions or farming ducks, the 54-year-old says his life was transformed in 2000 by shrimp.The Mekong Delta, long renowned as the "rice bowl of Vietnam", is now also home to a multi-billion-dollar shrimp industry and burgeoni

9 August 2017
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ASEAN and EU reiterates their commitment to battling climate change

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and European Union (EU) reiterated their commitment to cooperation in addressing the shared challenge of dealing with climate changes in their respective economic communities.This was done in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the ASEAN-EU partnership.

8 August 2017
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Haze unlikely to take over ASEAN skyline this year

Haze, which has been plaguing the skyline in the region, is expected to be prevented from recurring again this year based on the assurance from Indonesia.Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Indonesian government is taking proactive steps such as combating forest fires, responding quickly to forest fires and taking action against small plantations that are indulging in open burning to tackle this yearly affair.“Based on the assurance give

28 July 2017
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Indonesia flags risk of forest fires that triggered 2015 haze

Indonesia sees the risk of forest and land fires increasing until the peak of dry season in September, reigniting concerns of a repeat of 2015 haze that enveloped much of Southeast Asia.Satellite images showed 170 hotspots across the country, including 35 in Aceh province on Sumatra island, 44 in East Nusa Tenggara and 21 in West Kalimantan, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

26 July 2017
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India’s power pollution cap goal set at least 6 years too early

India wanted to cap toxic emissions from power plants by December. It’s now discovering that target is at least 6 years from its reach.The nation’s power industry regulator says a countrywide roll out of equipment to lower sulfur dioxide emissions won’t be completed until 2023. And that’s only one of the the four types of pollutants plants must cap.

21 July 2017
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