Defining and measuring forests is not an easy business. Definitions that initially sound very similar can turn out to have crucial differences. Understanding the terms is important for understanding forest use, forest cover, forest laws and policies and deforestation. ...

There is no large industrial-scale extraction of minerals carried out in Cambodia yet, but many exploration licenses have been granted and some mining companies have reported promising finds of minerals such as gold. Today companies from China, Korea, Vietnam, Australia and elsewhere are exploring for ...

Many varieties of gemstone are found in Cambodia, with rubies and sapphires being the most valuable. Diamonds and emeralds are not found here. There is no large-scale commercial mining of gems. Stones are recovered by individuals or small family or community groups. ...

Storms, flooding and drought are the disasters that affect the largest number of people in Cambodia, and they also bring the highest cost. Climate change is likely to make things worse, with drier dry seasons predicted and more rainfall and violent storms in the wet ...

Although there is currently no commercial-scale production of gold carried out in Cambodia, exploration by many companies is underway, with some promising find reported. Subject to government approval, commercial production could begin in 2016 or 2017. Gold is found in a number of ...

Firewood and charcoal are the main sources of energy for households and many small and medium enterprises, such as brick and tile industries. The cooking fuels used in Cambodia have changed greatly in the last decade. The National Census 2008 showed that 91 percent of ...

Renewable sources of energy include biofuels, solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy. Fossil fuels such as petroleum or coal are not renewable. ...

Agriculture in Cambodia accounts for approximately 56% of the labour force. The size of the sector means that policies developed here have a significant impact on the whole country. Agricultural policy and administration is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). There ...

Farmers harvest corn from their farms, Cambodia. Photo by World Bank/Chhor Sokunthea, taken on 17 July 2013. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Key agricultural commodities and products include rice, rubber, corn (maize), vegetables and fruit, and cassava (tapioca). More than 90 percent of Cambodia’s agricultural exports ...

Small-scale quarries producing construction materials are a key part of the mining industry in Cambodia. Clay for brick and tile manufacturing and sand and gravel are found in many locations.Under the Law on Mineral Resource Management and Exploitation (‘the mining law’) there are six types ...

Public land leases are grants of state lands to private entities in the form of a contractual rental agreement. These leases often take the form of land concessions, in particular economic land concessions. They are often associated with land conflicts and disputes. ...

Cambodia flood, 2011. Photo by European Commission, taken on 11 October 2011. Licensed under CC BY 2.0Storms, flooding and lightning strikes are the major causes of death and property damage from natural disasters in Cambodia, while drought causes severe hardship, especially for farmers. In a ...

Rights to private land ownership were guaranteed in the 1993 Constitution and formally established by the 2001 Land Law. Despite an established legal framework to protect private property rights, those rights are often insecure for many. ...

Although exploratory work has indicated the presence of modest coal resources in northern Cambodia, no commercial-scale mining has yet begun. The coal used in electricity generation and for other purposes is imported.A coal barge from Samarinda coal mine on the Mahakam river. Indonesia, Borneo. Photo ...

Construction on a Phnom Penh tower block. Photo by Axel Drainville, taken on 4 May 2011. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0The construction industry has boomed in Cambodia. From 2000 to November 2018, Cambodia’s Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction approved 43,136 construction projects representing ...

Cambodia’s forests have seen a significant reduction of total forest and dense forest cover in recent years, the growth of plantations, particularly rubber, and an ongoing problem with illegal logging. ...

Logging truck in Mondulkiri protected forest , Cambodia. Photo by Global Water Forum, taken on 23 February 2014. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Cambodia is deeply concerned about deforestation. While the country seeks fast economic development, forests represent a tremendous national treasure. In order to help ...

Things you should know about Cambodia before investingCambodia has performed well on foreign direct investment (FDI) so far, three times better than predicted, which scored 3.6, becoming the top 25 in the world.235 The FDI reached an all-time high of 14.1% in 2012 and nearly ...

Cambodia relies heavily on its groundwater resources to overcome water shortages during the dry season. More than half of the population depends on it when enough surface water is not available. At a certain depth, the ground is saturated with water, and the upper surface ...

A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is a defined area within a country that is subject to different laws and regulations than other areas of the country. These comprehensive industrial areas provide preferential incentives to investors and offer government import-export administrative support to facilitate trade. Though ...