Environment and natural resources

Trash collection in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. Photo taken by David Villa, taken on 12 January 2008. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 DEED.Solid waste is defined as “used things, materials, or products that remain or are generated from human daily activities and livelihood and do ...

Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo by U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh on 09 June 2016. Licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.Cambodia had over 8 million hectares of forest resources in 2020, accounting for 44.7% of the country’s total land area. 1 The state owns the whole forest ...

Cambodia is struggling to safeguard its forests while preserving economic growth since many people make a living via farming, logging, and other activities that might lead to deforestation. Almost 80% of Cambodians living in rural regions rely on forests for survival. On the other hand, ...

Deforestation has always been a problem in Cambodia since the 1970s, and it has aggravated in​the last decade. Some protected areas have been deforested. Between 2001 and 2018, Cambodia had lost 557,000 hectares (11.7%) of forest cover in protected areas.1 This loss has had an ...

Forest view. Photo by Open Development Cambodia, taken on 05 December 2021. Under license CC BY-SA 4.0.Cambodia is covered with forest, accounting for around 13.1 million hectares in 1973, and it is had fallen to 8.7 million hectares in 2014.1 However, based on the Ministry ...

The protection of Cambodian forests is primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of Environment. There are, however, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the area, from United Nations (UN) agencies and other global bodies to locally-registered ...

Cambodian animals are state property under Article 48 of the Forestry Law of 2002. This places the Forestry Administration (FA) in charge of research programs and conservation duties. The FA carries this out through its Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity. Conservation programs in the field ...

Although there are often new discoveries,1 a global lack of up to date data on botanical research makes plants biodiversity hard to assess in Cambodia. Compared to neighboring countries, the number of plant species is low, mostly due to the relative country’s flat landscape.2 Botanical knowledge ...

Biodiversity​ or​ Biological​ Resources:​ Various​ organisms​ in​ the​ same​ or​ different​ species​ and​ living​ organisms​ of​ all​ levels​ and​ sources,​ including​ land,​ marine​ and​ freshwater​ ecosystems,​ and​ the​ ecological​ relationships​ in​ which​ these​ ecosystems​ exist.​1​​ Biodiversity is essential for most of the resources used by ...

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 ...

Tonle Sap lake reflections. Photo from Mariusz Kluzniak. Uploaded on 1 January 2012. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Despite severe droughts striking the country frequently, Cambodia possesses substantial water resources, mostly contained in the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap great lake and river. The lake ...

In Cambodia, alternate periods of drought and heavy rains bring challenges for water management. The current trends show increasing annual rainfall and temperature throughout Cambodia, with a likelihood that both flooding and droughts will increase in frequency, severity and duration1. Water management involves issues of ...

In terms of attractiveness, one of Cambodia’s assets is the relative absence of intense development along its coasts, in comparison with neighboring countries. The 440 kilometer-long coastline includes a large area of non-urbanized zones, where locals can make their livelihoods from coastal resources. Cambodia’s coastline ...

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 ...

The smoke and stench blow into the air in Phnom Penh’s huge landfill. Photo by Alan Morgan, taken on 17 September 2011. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Air pollution originates mainly from the burning of fuels such as petroleum, diesel and coal in the transport, household, ...

Young child drinks clean water in Cambodia. Photo by Cecilia Snyder, taken on 12 July 2003. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Water pollution can be defined in many different ways. Basically, it is the contamination of water when pollutants are discharged into water bodies without treatment ...

UN’s Bali Climate Change Conference. Photo by Oxfam International, taken on 4 December 2007. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Climate change is a continuing problem. In Southeast Asia, Cambodia is one of the countries that is most affected and underprepared. As it is a developing country, ...

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. ...

As Cambodia emerged from years of conflict, pressures grew on natural resources and sensitive areas. In response, a number of protected areas were created by royal decree in 1993 to protect ecologically and culturally important places. More detailed guidelines on managing the country’s protected areas ...

Protected Forests are generally established under individual sub-decrees, specifically for the purpose of protecting biodiversity and conservation. They are home to many endangered or threatened species. ...

The classification of forests is set out in the Law on Forestry 2002. The law applies to both natural forests and plantations, and “defines the framework for management, harvesting, use, development and conservation of the forests in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The objective of this ...

Cambodian forest cover has reduced dramatically in recent decades. In 1973 there were 13.1 million hectares of total forest, but by 2014 the total cover had fallen to 8.7 million hectares. ...

Cambodia’s national parks (or ‘natural parks’) and wildlife preserves were established under the 1993 Royal Decree on the Protection of Natural Areas. Although other areas have been added subsequently, there is currently no officially available list of all protected areas and their boundaries. ...

Forest cover is the area of land covered by tree canopy. Measuring and reporting this can show the different types of forest that exist and the areas of each, and how these areas change over time. ...