Environment

Vientiane’s Shared E-Bikes Return Amid Parking, Licensing Concerns

Red electric bikes bearing the “Laos Shared E-Bike” logo have reappeared across Vientiane, raising questions about who operates the service, whether it has official approval, and how the bikes will be parked. The bikes can be unlocked through Zuimei’s LAOS-Ebike app and appear to revive an red e-bike service that...

Nam Song Turns Muddy in Vang Vieng Without Rain

The Nam Song River in Vang Vieng District turned muddy on 15 October, raising...

The Photographer Who Speaks for Laos’ Forests

In the forests of Laos, observation comes before words for Souksamlan “Toun” Laladeth. That idea...

Slope Collapse Hits Workers’ Camp at Pak Beng Hydropower Project in Northern Laos, No Casualties Reported

A section of hillside collapsed beneath a workers’ residential camp at the Pak Beng...

Nam Theun 2 Fund Approves LAK 343 Million for Forest Restoration in Khammouane

The Nam Theun 2 Development Fund approved more than LAK 343 million (USD 15,300)...

China’s Rapid Response to the Flood-Hit Southwest Guizhou

CGTN - China terminated the highest-level emergency flood response in Rongjiang County, southwest Guizhou Province at 10 AM on 29 June as the heavy...

Two Lao Nationals Detained in Thailand with Wildlife Carcasses in Trafficking Crackdown

Thai officials have arrested two Lao nationals caught trafficking over 100 kilograms of wildlife carcasses in Chiang Rai Province, near the Lao-Thai border on...

Officials Defend Tree Maintenance Amid Controversy Over Vientiane Transit Expansion

Duangta Boualavong, Deputy Head of the Department of Economics of Wood Processing Technology, has responded to public backlash following the trimming of ancient trees...

Local Authorities Tighten Grip on Gold Mining in Houaphanh Province

Local authorities in Houaphanh’s Xiengkhor district have issued an official order permanently banning the issuance of gold ore mining permits in all forms. The...

Toxic Thailand Rivers Pinned on Myanmar Mines

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee and Sally Jensen/AFP - A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of northeast Myanmar, where civil war...

World Crocodile Day: Ancient Reptiles Edge Back from Extinction in Laos

The Siamese crocodile, once declared extinct in the wild, has quietly held on in the hidden wetlands of Southeast Asia.  Today, roughly 1,000 of these...