Industrial mining - Open Development Mekong

Unregulated mining expands across Mekong region, raising concerns

Dec. 3 (UPI) — Unregulated mining across the Mekong region is accelerating at a pace that environmental researchers warn is outstripping governance, enforcement and ecological safeguards. From Myanmar’s jade-rich northern highlands to informal gold pits along Laos and Cambodia’s riverbanks, mineral extraction is expanding in some of Southeast Asia’s most fragile ecosystems, often beyond the reach […]

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Sand mining contracts cause serious concerns

Sand mining is conducted mainly at open pits, beaches, inland dunes or from the dredging of ocean and river beds. Sand is mined primarily to produce concrete for use in construction but this little-noticed and largely unregulated activity has serious costs because it damages rivers and wreaks havoc on coastal ecosystems and has even wiped […]

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Mining in the Mekong: Myanmar to outperform, Thailand to underperform

There is big opportunity, and and also big risk in the Mekong mining sector, according to recently published report. Fitch Solutions Macro Research’s industry analysis maintains the Mekong region will remain underdeveloped and dominated by domestic players in the coming years as foreign investment flows into the sector will be minimal amid a myriad of […]

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Dramatic Photos Show How Sand Mining Threatens a Way of Life in Southeast Asia

Sand is a key ingredient in concrete, the essential building material of Vietnam’s fast-growing cities. Demand for it is surging—and that is wreaking havoc not only on Vietnam’s rivers, but also on the all-important Mekong Delta. Keep reading …

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Mining exploration set for region home to endangered river dolphins

Australian mining firm Medusa Mining has announced plans to begin exploration for gold, copper and oil in Kratie province’s Prek Kampi commune, about 35 kilometres west of a stretch of the Mekong River that is home to endangered river dolphins.Keep reading …

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Boon turns bane: titanium mining in Bình Thuận

Bình Thuận Province has reaped enormous economic benefits from titanium mining, but the industry has also damaged the environment badly, degraded the lives of local residents. The southern province has the highest titanium reserves in the country at an estimated 599 million tonnes, or 92 per cent of total national reserves. However, exploiting it without taking […]

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MoIT rejects proposal to close mine

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has rejected a proposal to shut down a major iron mine over concerns that it poses risks to the environment. The ministry said in a press statement that the proposal by the Ministry of Investment and Planning (MPI) to immediately terminate the Thạch Khê iron mine project in the […]

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Chinese traders prefer Hpakant over Mandalay gems market

Buyers from China have found it much easier to do business in the mines of Hpakant than in Mandalay’s Maha Aung Myay Gems Trading Centre, the city’s largest emporium which features more than 1000 shops, especially if they want to buy raw or uncut jades. “I have been working for a month now at the mines instead […]

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Dầu Tiếng Reservoir sand mining suspended

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked the provinces of Tây Ninh, Bình Dương and Bình Phước to suspend sand mining operations at Dầu Tiếng Reservoir, following an order from the Government. The ministry told officials to adjust planning for construction sites and dumps in the reservoir to ensure safety and protect the […]

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Cold-water fish a gold mine

Hoang Van Ta, 53, was the first person to farm salmon in his commune in the mountainous province of Lang Son in 2007. Now he earns as much as VND4-5 billion (US$180,000-$220,000) a year from salmon. Mau Son Commune, Loc Binh District is located about 170km northeast of Ha Noi, with the highest peak reaching about […]

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