Shrugging off the risks, Laos plans to proceed with the Pak Beng dam
PAK BENG, Laos — At the Happy Bar, on the bank of the Mekong River, the Bob Marley tape starts up at the same time every night after the tourist…
Laos News
The Dammed Don: Lao hydropower project pushes ahead despite alarm from scientists
Snaking down the length of the Mekong River the beautifully detailed map looks strikingly like those marking the distribution of unexploded ordnance in Laos. The red dots that pockmark the…
Explore the “Wonders of the Annamites” in this new children’s book
The Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam are home to an abundance of rare wildlife, and now you can explore the mountain range's natural wonders from your own home. Eric…
Rainbow-headed snake, rare wild banana among 163 new species discovered in Greater Mekong region: WWF
In 2015, scientists discovered 163 new species -- nine amphibians, three mammals, 11 fish, 14 reptiles and 126 plants -- in the Greater Mekong region, according to a new report…
A dam shame: the plight of the Mekong giant catfish
Humanity rarely seems to get very excited about conserving fish species, maybe because they are largely invisible to us land-dwelling creatures — except when they arrive on a dinner plate.…
Only 3 Irrawaddy dolphins remain in Laos
The small population of Irrawaddy dolphins in Lao People's Democratic Republic is now functionally extinct, the World Wildlife Fund announced yesterday. Only three Irrawaddy dolphins are thought to remain in Laos…
Vietnam sweats bullets as China and Laos dam the Mekong
This is the second article of an in-depth, four-part series exploring threats facing the Mekong Delta and how they might be addressed. Read the first, third and fourth installments. othing that influences…
Disappearing Gardeners: thoughts on the Laotian elephant crisis
In their latest collaborative film, Gardeners of the Forest, Ceylan Carhoglu and Nicole Jordan Webber decided to explore a species whose fate is critically linked to the well-being of an…
Lao PDR commits to shut its commercial tiger farms
Commercial tiger farms, that keep and breed tigers to meet the demand of tiger parts like skins, bones, teeth, and claws, are believed to fuel tiger trafficking. According to conservationists,…
Lao PDR failing to curb pangolin and hornbill trafficking: new reports
Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) has failed to address illicit wildlife trade in the country, three new reports have found. Strategically located close to China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, Lao PDR…
Corruption is driving unsustainable, illegal rosewood trade in Cambodia and Laos: Report
Corruption in Cambodia and Laos is driving the illegal exports of endangered rosewood species in violation of UN protections, according to a new report by the Environmental Investigation Agency. The…
Pathogens ‘lurking’ in Lao PDR’s wildlife markets can lead to emergence of zoonotic diseases
Conditions at wildlife markets in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) could lead to public health “catastrophes”, a new study warns. Poor biosafety standards and high volume of wild animals illegally…
Laos could be the ‘most important’ home for the elusive Owston’s civet
In the remote parts of southeastern Laos PDR, biologists have discovered a “surprisingly” high number of the little-known Owston’s civets. These civets, known only from Vietnam, Laos and a small…
Getting SMART about Wildlife Crime
From Laos to Belize, forest personnel use the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) to more efficiently anticipate and combat wildlife crime.
It’s World Pangolin Day again. What can you do to help?
Pangolins, the armor-clad mammals found in Asia and Africa, are perhaps best known for being the world’s most trafficked animal. Every year, thousands of pangolins get illegally hunted for their…
Countries call for new CITES protections for rosewood species
This week, the 66th Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is meeting in Geneva, and multiple countries are calling…
Leaked report reveals massive illegal logging in Laos
A recent report details the extent at which the Southeast Asian nation is felling its forests, primarily due to demand from neighboring countries.
Partnerships are key to The Wildlife Conservation Society’s new conservation strategy
The Wildlife Conservation Society has a long, proven track record of environmental stewardship. So when the New York City-based group recently announced an ambitious new global conservation strategy, Mongabay got…
Rainforest loss increased in the 2000s, concludes new analysis
Click charts to enlarge Loss of tropical forests accelerated roughly 60 percent during the 2000s, argues a paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The findings contradict previous research…
Lady Gaga gets bitten by venomous primate, sparking outrage over loris trafficking
Slow loris expert: Lady Gaga may have put herself in danger by handling venomous, endangered primate Lady Gaga photo from @ladygaga. Loris photo courtesy of Little Fireface Last week, the…
Special series
Forest Trackers
- Satellite data show bursts of deforestation continue in Indonesian national park
- Fires rip through Indigenous territories in Brazilian Amazon
- Monitoring group cracks down on deforestation in Cameroon gorilla sanctuary
- Western Kenya’s most important water-capturing forest is disappearing, satellites show
Oceans
- Conservationists see progress for swordfish, problems for sharks at Atlantic fisheries summit
- As tidal power rides a wave of clean energy optimism, pitfalls persist
- Plan for close season rings alarm bells for Liberia’s artisanal fishers
- Lab-grown corals resisted bleaching during Caribbean’s worst marine heat wave
Amazon Conservation
- ‘World’s largest’ carbon credit deal in the Amazon faces bumpy road ahead
- New conservation model calls for protecting Amazon for its archaeological riches
- Brazil dredges Amazon rivers to ease drought isolation, raising environmental concerns
- ‘We need white men on our side to save the Amazon from destruction,’ 92-year-old Indigenous Chief Raoni says
Land rights and extractives
- Brazil sets a date to remove illegal miners from Munduruku land, more details await
- Peruvian logger loses FSC label after latest clash with isolated Mashco Piro
- A national park and its rangers in Bolivia endure persisting road construction, illegal mining
- Can nations ever get artisanal gold mining right?
Endangered Environmentalists
- Vietnam sentences yet another energy expert over renewables research
- Mother Nature Cambodia activists sentenced to prison — again
- Mongabay video screening at Chile’s Supreme Court expected to help landmark verdict in Brazil
- Indonesian activist freed in hate speech case after flagging illegal shrimp farms
Indonesia's Forest Guardians
- On a Borneo mountainside, Indigenous Dayak women hold fire and defend forest
- Fenced in by Sulawesi national park, Indigenous women make forestry breakout
- In Borneo, the ‘Power of Mama’ fight Indonesia’s wildfires with all-woman crew
- Pioneer agroforester Ermi, 73, rolls back the years in Indonesia’s Gorontalo
Conservation Effectiveness
- How effective is the EU’s marquee policy to reduce the illegal timber trade?
- How sharing and learning from failures can transform conservation (commentary)
- Is planting trees as good for the Earth as everyone says?
- Failure in conservation projects: Everyone experiences it, few record it
Southeast Asian infrastructure
- An ‘ocean grab’ for a property megaproject leaves Jakarta fishers grounded
- Study: Indonesia’s new capital city threatens stable proboscis monkey population
- Indonesia’s new capital ‘won’t sacrifice the environment’: Q&A with Nusantara’s Myrna Asnawati Safitri
- Small farmers in limbo as Cambodia wavers on Tonle Sap conservation rules
