News

Laos aims to build Mekong dam this year, testing neighbours

11 September 2011
The Nation
Energy / Environment and natural resources / Social development / The poor
Abhisit Government / Ame Trandem / Bali / Burma / Cambodia / Ch Karnchang Pic / Chinese aid / construction / dam / director-general / Electricite du Laos / Electricity Generating Plc / energy / environmental groups / executive vice president / Fishing / Hanoi / Hillary Clinton / hydropower / International Rivers / Laos / Mekong Delta / Mekong river / Mekong River Commission / Ministry of Energy and Mines’ Department of Electricity / Poyry / Poyry Energy AG / PTT Plc / rice growers / rice production / sea levels / Southeast Asia program director / Southern Vietnam / Supamas Trivisvavet / Thai Stock Exchange / Thai-financed / Thailand / Tonle Sap lake / US Secretary of State / Viraphonh Viravong / Xayaburi

Laos wants to start construction this year on the $3.8 billion (Bt115 billion) Thai-financed Xayaburi hydropower plant on the Mekong River after changing the design of the dam to placate neighbouring countries opposed to the project. Laos completed a review of the dam recently to ease ...

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Laos-aims-to-build-Mekong-dam-this-year-testing-ne-30164984.html

Climate Change Affects on Livelihoods for Rural People

6 September 2011
The Southeast Asia Weekly
Decentralization and deconcentration / Environment and natural resources / Population and censuses / Provincial and local governments
Agro-business company / Cambodia / Cambodia Human Development Report / Climate Change / Deputy Prime Minister / development partners / Douglas Broderick / dry season / energy / Farmers / fisheries / forestry / government agencies / human development / Infrastructure / Keat Chhon / Ketsana Storm / Mekong river / Minister of Economy and Finance / Minister of Environment / Ministry of Economy and Finance / Ministry of Environment / Mok Maret / National Strategic Development Plan 2009-2013 / NGOs / private sector / Rainy Season / rural people / Tonlesap River / UNDP / UNDP Cambodia Resident Representative / United Nations Development Program / Water resources

The Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) collaborated to launch the 2011 Cambodia Human Development Report (CHDR) on August 30th which identifies climate change as a threat to human development gains and a source of increasing ...

http://thesoutheastasiaweekly.com/

Climate Change Poses Major Threat to Cambodia’s Rural Poor

1 September 2011
Economy Watch
Environment and natural resources / Population and censuses
Agro-business company / Cambodia / Cambodia Human Development Report / Cambodian Economy / Cambodian Government / Climate Change / Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Environment’s Climate Change Department / Deputy Prime Minister / Development / Dr Tin Ponlok / energy / Farmers / fisheries / forestry / green growth economy / Keat Chhon / Minister of Economy and Finance / Phnom Penh Post / physical infrastructure / rice production / Richard Friend / rural poor / UNDP / Water resources

The Cambodian economy faces major problems for its predominantly rural population in the event of more erratic climate shifts, according to the United Nations Development Programme’s 2011 Cambodian Human Development Report. “This is an agrarian economy that depends very much on weather. And we are among the ...

http://www.economywatch.com/in-the-news/climate-change-poses-major-threat-to-cambodias-rural-poor.01-09.htm

Talks Urged for Disputed Oil Zone

25 August 2011
Bangkok Post
Economy and commerce / Energy / Energy policy and administration / Extractive Industries / Extractive industries policy and administration / Generation and distribution facilities / Off-shore oil and gas exploration and extraction / Oil and gas resources
Cambodia / Cambodian-Vietnam Maritime Border / condensate / disputed territory / Eateern Boundary Line / energy / energy security / Gen Prem Tinsulanonda Government / joint development / Kangkokj / Malaysian aid / MOU / natural gas / offshore oil and gas reserves / oil / oilfield / Overlapping Claims Area / Pattani basin / petroleum reserves / political issue / revenue sharing / Thai politics / Thailand / Thaksin Shinawatra administration / Western Boundary Line

Energy planners are pushing the revival of talks with Cambodia on the oil-rich overlapping claims area (OCA) between the two countries to ensure energy security. They also urge all parties not to turn it into a political issue so that the talks stand a chance ...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/253345/talks-urged-for-disputed-oil-zone

Deals With China Inked

22 August 2011
The Phnom Penh Post
Aid and development / Bilateral development assistance / Chinese aid / Economy and commerce / Energy / Energy policy and administration / Generation and distribution facilities / Infrastructure / Non-DAC members / Roads and bridges / Transport and shipping / Transport infrastructure and facilities
agricultural industry / agricultural produce / Agro-business company / aid / Beijing / Boeung Kak Lake / Cambodia / Cambodian resources / CamGSM / Chen Jian / Chinese companies / Chinese National Development and Reform Commission / Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce / construction / defense / Development / Eang Sophalleth / energy / environmental destruction / Erdo Hongjun Investment Company / exportation / Huawei / Hun Sen’s spokesman / Investment / investment groups / investments / irrigation / Keat Chhon / Kith Meng / Lao Meng Khin / Lao Mong Hay / Leopard Capital / memorandums / mining / Mining projects / Ministry of Economy and Finance / MOU / oil-rich territory / One-China Policy / Phnom Penh / Politburo Standing Committee / power plant projects / Prime Minister Hun Sen / regional trade / regulation / rice exports / roads / Royal Group / Satellite / Scott Lewis / South China Sea / Taiwan / telecommunications / Z-9 helicopters / Zhou Yongkang

Cambodia agreed to acquire Chinese-made Z-9 helicopters for US$195 million in one of 26 memorandums of understanding agreed by the two countries on Saturday. Cooperation was pledged in sectors such as energy, mining, agriculture and road construction, as well as defense spending and aid. The ...

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011082251177/Business/deals-with-china-inked.html

Asean to forge ahead through global crises

11 August 2011
The Phnom Penh Post
Economy and commerce / Trade / Trade policy and regulation
ASEAN / Boediono / Cambodia / Chang Mai Initiative / Chinese aid / debt crises / Economics / energy / Europe / Exports / Food / foreign investment / free trade / GDP / Global economy / global financial crises / Indian aid / Indonesia / Indonesia Vice President / Indonesian Trade Minister / Japanese aid / labor / Laos / Mari Pangestu / Production / Recession / regional trade / rice / Singapore / South Korean aid / Southeast Asia / stock market / stock markets / Thailand / trade ministers / Unions / United States aid

Southeast Asia needs to push ahead with a regional free trade bloc and policies to cope with global financial crises, Indonesia’s government said yesterday. Indonesia’s Vice President Boediono, addressing trade ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said it was evident since the ...

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Mekong environment ministers talk on sustainable economic development

6 August 2011
The Southeast Asia Weekly
Agriculture and fishing / Economy and commerce / Energy / Energy policy and administration / Environment and natural resources / Generation and distribution facilities / Social development / The poor / Water resources
ADB / Agriculture & Agri-business / Asian Development Bank (ADB) / Bindu Lohan / biodiversity / Biodiversity Conservation Corridor Initiatives / Cambodia / China Vietnam / Climate Change / conservation / Development / economic cevelopment / economic cooperation / Economic Development / Economic growth / economic sector / energy / energy tourism transport / environment / environmental challanges / environmental cooperation / environmental regulations / Environmentalists / Finland / food security / foreign diplomats / Forest / fovernment / GDP / GDP growth / GMS / Greater Mekong Sub-region / Greater Mekong Sub-Region Environment Ministers / Guangxi Zhuang / Hun Sen / Investment / Lao Myanmar / Mekong river / Mekong Sub region / natural resources / Netherlands / poverty rate / PRC / prime minister / Prime Minister Hun Sen / regional environmental cooperation / Samdech Hun Sen / sustainable economic development / Sweeden / Thailand / Water resources / Yunnan / Yunnan Province

Cambodia on July 28th hosted the 3rd Greater Mekong Sub- Region Environment Ministers to look forward to sustainable economic development in the region and to talk about current projects to reduce harm for regions and also to minimize several environmental challenges affecting natural resources, forest and ...

 (Khem Sovannara and Chhorng Long Heng, p 7)
http://thesoutheastasiaweekly.com/?p=1289

CAMBODIA-NORTH KOREA UPDATE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS

Cambodia and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have inked the agreements to expand bilateral trade, technologies, agriculture, industry, investment and the health sector, and both sides also are trying to boost close ties for mutual benefits while both nations’ trading has been reported to be ...

http://thesoutheastasiaweekly.com/?p=1301

Leopard Spots More Investment Opportunities

12 July 2011
The Cambodia Daily
Agriculture and fishing / Economy and commerce / Energy / Energy policy and administration / Generation and distribution facilities
Agriculture & Agri-business / Cambodia / Cayman Islands / energy / Financial Services / Hong Kong / Investment / Laos / Leopard Capital / private equity firm / Renewable Energy

Approximately US $75 million will be invested in Cambodia and Laos by Leopard Capital. The company will focus on financial service, agriculture and power. The 10 year fund is targeting annual returns of 25 percent and will favor renewable energy sources. ...