Sustainability
Home grown: Building a stronger food system in Laos
One of the smallest and most sparsely populated nations in Southeast Asia, the Lao Peoples’ Democratic Republic (Lao PDR, or Laos), a mountainous, landlocked country wedged…
Hydro-hegemon? Complexities of shared rivers between China and India
Transboundary river governance has long been a headache for governments in Asia. One of the region’s most complex cases is the bilateral governance of the Yarlung Tsangpo…
The cost of crime and corruption on Pacific fisheries
The Pacific Ocean is the most abundant fishing region, however an uptick in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing around the islands means that might not always be…
South Korea can’t afford to be a Wally with water
South Korea, Asia’s extraordinary economic development success story, is facing water shortages. The situation is bad enough that the government recently warned the 1.4 million…
Mekong River: Turning declaration into actions
Laos hosted a four-day Mekong River Commission leadership summit and conference last week, focusing on this vital waterway for Southeast Asia.
Australia has been engaged in the…
Japan feels the pinch as fertiliser costs soar thanks to Russia’s war
For many countries, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a grave impact on food costs and availability. Grain export bans and pipeline shutdowns by Russia have resulted in a sharp…
China’s food dilemma
Despite China’s enormous population, the country has limited resources, making the security of food supplies a constant preoccupation. For older generations, including President…
Krill campaign less than thrilling
Sea Shepherd, the environmental activist group renowned for taking on Japanese whalers in remote waters around Antarctica, has a new target. Its latest campaign is against krill…
Indonesia’s nickel superhighway
Indonesia currently has the most significant nickel deposit in the world, putting it in a prime position to build advanced industries such as renewable energy, in which rare…
Japan and ASEAN: 50 years of maritime strategy
In a partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that now spans 50 years, Japan has played an important role in addressing the non-traditional maritime security…