It is an unfortunate reality that many of the world’s most deadly conflicts and pressing crises receive sparse news coverage. Instead, we see the same conflicts repeatedly making headlines, and often these conflicts aren’t nearly as catastrophic as those that are flying under the radar of mainstream news. In most cases, the driving force behind this phenomenon is power. Global news coverage is dominated by the West, and typically the conflicts that dominate our news feeds are of most geopolitical and strategic significance to the Western world. This skews the way in which we perceive conflicts and the world around us. It also affects the allocation of humanitarian assistance and policy. When less attention is drawn to a crisis, less aid will be sent, and those directly responsible for the conflicts or human rights abuses won’t be held accountable by outside forces. In this series, we document some of the world’s most pressing underreported issues with the goal of drawing more attention to them, which will hopefully catalyze more effective assistance and policy.
The Mekong River: Where Renewable Energy Threatens Southeast Asia’s Environment and Diplomacy
The Mekong River in Southeast Asia has been an important river for multiple countries, but it is now threatened by the numerous dams built without much international coordination.
