A Singaporean city dweller travels to the Thai countryside to learn more about sustainable food production and local farming knowledge. Sing Yee, a recent university graduate, shares insights from her stay, amidst conversations on farming, food, politics and development with other ASEAN youths and the host community.
Amidst the drought, diversifying farming systems can protect food security in Cambodia
Climate change especially drought are threatening the rice production and fishery in Cambodia. Sao Phal Niseiy explains that farmers and fishers can cope through efforts at raising awareness, promoting capacity building and diversified farming systems to ensure food security.
High costs of Cambodia’s Lower Sesan 2 hydropower dams
The Lower Sesan 2 hydropower dam in Cambodia will affect tens of thousands of people if built. This article shows how lessons have not been learned from past upstream dam construction in Vietnam, and the project will mainly reap profits for the dam developers, rather that result in “poverty reduction”.
Growing food forests along the Ou River in Lao PDR
Khmu youths and villagers living along the Ou River in Luang Prabang Province, Northern Lao PDR have adopted a food forest concept in reforesting the river’s banks that in recent years have been impacted by land erosion. The initiative aims to maintain fragile areas that are important sources of food and thus sustain community food security.
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.