Environment & Sustainability
Mekong Plus takes environmentally focused initiatives to safeguard the region’s natural beauty, improve the well-being of its communities, and create a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.
Programs Overview
South-East Asia faces severe climate challenges, including droughts, storms, and floods, along with environmental issues like soil salinity, coastal erosion, and rising sea levels.
Mekong Plus focuses on mitigating these impacts through initiatives such as waste treatment, sorting and recycling, sustainable farming practices and constructions, and tree planting to address environmental and socio-economic concerns.
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Students engaged in plastic
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Tons of plastic collected per year
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Houses made with recycled materials
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Classrooms equipped with recycled plastic furniture
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Households equipped with sanitation
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Bridges & small roads built so far
Our Environmental Programs
Schools Against Plastic
Mekong Plus is committed to raising awareness among villagers about the detrimental impact of plastic on their health.
What we do:
- Training teachers to educate students about the harmful effects of plastic.
- Engaging students in clean-up initiatives around schools, providing them with gloves and tongs for waste collection.
- Implementing recycling programs for the collected waste, notably repurposing it to create cost-effective school furniture.
- Instituting a rewards system for schools that excel in waste collection efforts, offering increased funding to support the education of underprivileged children.
Eco-Friendly Homes
Mekong Plus introduces a distinctive approach to waste management, where waste is recycled into panels that find application in construction projects.
What we do:
- Utilizing recycled waste panels in construction, where a single small house can incorporate up to 1 tonne of waste, reducing construction costs by 20% and enhancing thermal and acoustic properties.
- Providing a financial incentive by offering a €700 bonus to villagers who opt for these eco-friendly panels in their house construction.
- Collaborating with various technical partners to explore the potential of the pyrolysis technique, which enables the conversion of plastic waste into valuable energy resources such as oil, diesel, and gas.
Tree Planting
Mekong Plus is dedicated to promoting tree planting initiatives in schools and pagodas, with a collaborative approach that involves various stakeholders.
What we do:
- Supplying seedlings to schools and pagodas.
- Enlisting the support of villagers in planting, protecting, and nurturing these trees, which includes providing bamboo shields and ensuring proper watering.
- Addressing the challenge of planting on public land, which often requires protection of seedlings from animals.
- Encouraging cooperation with local farmers, as some may express concerns about tree shading affecting their crops and insect populations.
- Motivating villagers to participate through a system of small bonuses awarded at 6 and 12 months, based on the survival rate of planted trees, thereby fostering long-term commitment to tree planting.
Latrine and Sanitation
With the help of this program, nearly 95% of households in both Cambodian and Vietnamese villages have clean latrines, representing a substantial improvement in personal hygiene and sanitation.
What we do:
- Implementation of clean and affordable latrines in Khmer villages and Vietnam, costing as low as €26.
- Provision of bonuses to the poorest families for the installation of clean latrines, ensuring access for those in need.
- Collaboration with local schools to enhance sanitation, including the improvement of latrines, wells, water tanks, and hygiene lessons for students.
- Encouragement of schoolchildren, along with teacher guidance, in maintaining these improved facilities, promoting a culture of cleanliness and hygiene in educational institutions.
Sustainable Infrastructures
Caring about the environment also means helping the people get access to it.
What we do:
- Emphasis on human development, with a focus on people-centric investments.
- Encouragement and facilitation of community involvement, with villagers contributing 2/3 of infrastructure project costs.
- Construction assistance for 165 concrete roads and 255 bridges.
- A maximum individual contribution of €780 for bridge construction.
- Daily facilitation of between 500 and 1,000 crossings, enhancing accessibility for the community.
