Up to 14 coal fired-power plants are set to be built in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta as part of Vietnam’s Power Development Plan (PDP). Nguyen Thi Ha looks at how the coal plants already operating in the delta area are affecting the health, salt and fish farms, and local livelihoods of thousands of communities living in the delta.
Pursuit of economic wealth is coming at the cost of health
Is the economic development model by design sacrificing the health – both body and mind –for “economic growth”? We posit that structural changes in the Mekong region – often due to government economic development policies from agriculture to urban work patterns – creating conditions for ill health.
Cambodia’s ecotourism plans: A journey into uncharted waters
In Cambodia, ecotourism is growing with the noble goal of protecting the environment, giving tourists a feel for nature, and sharing benefits with rural communities. Whether ecotourism is wholly achieving these intentions remains an open question, as this article explores one such ecotourism venture, the “4 Rivers Floating Lodge”.
Development and the Mekong Commons
In the Mekong Region, after decades of governments, donors, corporations, experts and others pursuing development, winners and losers have emerged. In this first “Commons Comment” editorial, we discuss the changing lives in the Mekong Region, new development trends, impacts on the commons, and why Mekong Commons was initiated.