Media Seminar on Mekong River Development Concluded in Bangkok
30-06-2004 (Bangkok)
Environmental journalists from the six Mekong countries Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, mainly editors from newspapers, magazines, radio and television as well as national news agencies, participated last week in a media seminar on Mekong River development issues in Bangkok, Thailand.
The seminar included a 3-day forum in Bangkok and 2-day site visits and discussion in Chiang Khong, a district on the Mekong River bank in Chiang Rai Province.
Resource persons included fish and environment experts, media trainer, NGO and community representatives, and a Spokeswoman and Deputy Chairman of the Thai Parliament’s Committee on Environment.
At a wrap-up session, the 15 participants expressed great satisfaction with the content and the organization of the seminar. According to them, the seminar has raised their awareness of the negative impacts of ambitious Mekong development projects, provided them with better understanding of the importance and values of the river and a wealth of additional information, and gave them an opportunity to network with journalists from other countries who shared the same concerns. The journalists asked the co-hosts to create and maintain a website on Mekong River development with environment journalists as a priority target group.
The Mekong Media Seminar was co-hosted by UNESCO, World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Thailand, and World Conservation Union (IUCN), with additional substantive inputs from IPS and the Chiang Khong Conservation Group.
The Mekong River Basin is home to over 60 million people of more than 100 different ethnic groups most of whom are heavily dependent on the river’s natural resources for their livelihoods. The river is among the richest in the world in terms of its abundance of aquatic biodiversity. Poorly planned and unnecessary development projects have threatened the ecology of the river and the socio-economic balance of the whole region.
Resource persons included fish and environment experts, media trainer, NGO and community representatives, and a Spokeswoman and Deputy Chairman of the Thai Parliament’s Committee on Environment.
At a wrap-up session, the 15 participants expressed great satisfaction with the content and the organization of the seminar. According to them, the seminar has raised their awareness of the negative impacts of ambitious Mekong development projects, provided them with better understanding of the importance and values of the river and a wealth of additional information, and gave them an opportunity to network with journalists from other countries who shared the same concerns. The journalists asked the co-hosts to create and maintain a website on Mekong River development with environment journalists as a priority target group.
The Mekong Media Seminar was co-hosted by UNESCO, World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Thailand, and World Conservation Union (IUCN), with additional substantive inputs from IPS and the Chiang Khong Conservation Group.
The Mekong River Basin is home to over 60 million people of more than 100 different ethnic groups most of whom are heavily dependent on the river’s natural resources for their livelihoods. The river is among the richest in the world in terms of its abundance of aquatic biodiversity. Poorly planned and unnecessary development projects have threatened the ecology of the river and the socio-economic balance of the whole region.
Related themes/countries
· Cambodia
· Viet Nam: News Archive
· China: News Archives 2004
· Thailand: News Archive 2004
· Myanmar: News Archives
· Lao People's Democratic Republic: News Archive
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Contact information
- UNESCO Bangkok
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