Environment and natural resources

Forests and forestry

Report says forestry crime decreasing

Park rangers across th country cracked down on 5,376 cases of illegal timber trade, confiscating more than 1,000 cubic metres of wood, and 2,100 chainsaws, a senior Environment Ministry official said. Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the total number of case showed a marked decrease ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501222616/report-says-forestry-crime-decreasing/

Fears grow as draft laws leave out ‘indigenous,’ allow hunting

Changes to forestry and protected area laws are proceeding without enough public input, communities say, as drafts introduce hunting licenses and remove wording about ethnic minorities. The country’s Protected Areas Law and Forestry Law are being amended by the environment and agriculture ministries, respectively, sparking growing ...

Keat Soriththeavy
https://vodenglish.news/fears-grow-as-draft-laws-leave-out-indigenous-allow-hunting/

PLCN report says forestry crimes thriving in protected area

The Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) in Preah Vihear province claims several cases of deforestation have been discovered in the Prey Lang protected area. ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501221254/plcn-report-says-forestry-crimes-thriving-in-protected-area/

Environment ministry scoffs at report by ‘political activists’

A senior environment official rejected a report by the Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) in Preah Vihear province claiming that it had found 73 forest offences in four days of investigating and monitoring the area in Chey Sen district. ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-ministry-scoffs-report-political-activists

Forest commodities exports down in 2022

Cambodia netted $531.864 million from the export of rubber latex and wood in 2022, down 12.85 per cent over 2021, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery’s General Directorate of Rubber (GDR). ...

Hin Pisei
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/forest-commodities-exports-down-2022

White-shouldered ibis numbers increase for 2022 census: ministry

About 800 white-shouldered ibis, one of the world’s rarest and “critically endangered” bird species, have been found in Cambodia, accounting for 80 per cent of their total global population of 1,000. To protect its population, the Ministry of Environment and its conservation partners are continuing ...

Lay Samean
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/white-shouldered-ibis-numbers-increase-2022-census-ministry

Environment activist Ben Davis seeks $50K for canals

As of the end of 2022, environmental activist Ben Davis has dug 19 km of canals and built 7 km of fences and roads in an effort to prevent natural resource crimes from happening in the core areas of the Phnom Tnaot-Phnom Pok wildlife sanctuary ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-activist-ben-davis-seeks-50k-canals

Environment activist Ben Davis seeks $50K for canals

As of the end of 2022, environmental activist Ben Davis has dug 19 km of canals and built 7 km of fences and roads in an effort to prevent natural resource crimes from happening in the core areas of the Phnom Tnaot-Phnom Pok wildlife sanctuary ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-activist-ben-davis-seeks-50k-canals

Monk's community forestry concerned about further loss of forests after nearly 5,000 hectares of forest land

The community has expressed concern that if nearly 5,000 hectares of the Rattanak Rukha community forest, part of the Monk’s community forestry, is cut off to the citizens, it will result in the loss of forests and wildlife habitats of all kinds live in this ...

Meng Kroypunlok
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2023/01/10/govt-plans-to-cut-nearly-5000-hectares-of-forest-from-rukhavorn-community-forest/

Greed for land consumes lakes, forests: Environment 2022

Timber, monkeys, orchids, sand: Cambodia’s protected areas and natural resources continue to be a lucrative source of income, in spite of all the promises (and international funding) to protect them. Above all else, the hunger for land has consumed Cambodians and foreigners alike, triggering a constant ...

Danielle Keeton-Olsen
https://vodenglish.news/greed-for-land-consumes-lakes-forests-environment-2022/

In protected Prey Lang forest, communities pushed out but mining companies welcomed in

Kampong Thom’s Sandan district: Snang An village chief Sok Heng proudly displays a photo of his new home, constructed in July 2021, as his phone’s background image. But Late Cheng Mining Development, a gold mining firm with ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, ...

Khuon Narim and Jack Brook
https://cambojanews.com/in-protected-prey-lang-forest-communities-pushed-out-but-mining-companies-welcomed-in/

Pounong indigenous people in Mondulkiri province complain to local authorities for failing to prevent forest crimes

Four forestry community representatives in Mondulkiri province have filed a complaint with local authorities against the provincial prosecutor’s office, accusing them of failing to prevent forest crime in a timely manner. ...

Va Sopheanut
https://khmer.cambojanews.com/bunong-indigenous-people-in-mondulkiri-province-complain-to-local-authorities-for-failing-to-prevent-forest-crimes/

Forestland encroachers arrested in Mondulkiri

Authorities arrested four people on Tuesday for clearing protected forest land in Mondulkiri Province’s Keo Seima district. ...

Chhun Sunly
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501206689/forestland-encroachers-arrested-in-mondulkiri/

Three community forestry networks join Canadian biodiversity conference

Representatives of three community networks involved in forests and biodiversity protection are invited to attend the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada, on December 7-19, 2022 by considering this involvement as an important motivator for them to continue to protect the forest. ...

Rann Reuy
https://www.postkhmer.com/national/2022-12-13-1734-244662.html

World-Bays Club plants nearly 2.4K mangroves

Officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration led a delegation from the 16th World Congress of the World-Bays Club to plant 2,388 mangrove tree saplings on December 11 in Prey Nop district.​ ...

Vann Sak
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/world-bays-club-plants-nearly-24k-mangroves

For arrested activists, thumbprints on police contracts are often the cost of freedom

 In mid-August, Chhoeun Daravy and eight others found themselves negotiating with police over the wording of a handwritten contract. Officers initially wanted the agreement to say that the nine had “illegally” entered a “prohibited area” in the recently logged Phnom Tamao forest and flew a ...

Ngay Nai and Matt Surrusco
https://cambojanews.com/for-arrested-activists-thumbprints-on-police-contracts-are-often-the-cost-of-freedom/

Environment ministry plants saplings to restore mangroves

The Ministry of Environment and Kep Provincial Administration planted 3,000 mangrove forest saplings to strengthen marine eco-systems, adapt to climate change, increase habitat for marine biodiversity of all kinds and beautify beaches. ...

Neang Sokunthea
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-ministry-plants-saplings-restore-mangroves

Lumphat sanctuary to generate carbon credit by 2024

Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary – home to a variety of endangered animals and birds – is expected to generate carbon credits in 130,000 hectares of the sanctuary by 2024 and reduce carbon emission by at least 115,000 tonnes per year. ...

Sar Socheath
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501190983/lumphat-sanctuary-to-generate-carbon-credit-by-2024/

Rare bird’s nest count doubles in sanctuary

A Sambo Wildlife Sanctuary biodiversity monitoring and research team were on November 22 excited to report the presence of 48 lesser adjutant nests, with 68 adult birds and their chicks confirmed living in the Mekong flooded forest habitat. ...

Neang Sokunthea
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rare-birds-nest-count-doubles-sanctuary

Kingdom to sell more carbon credits

At the 27th UN climate change conference (COP27) in Egypt, Cambodia agreed to sell 15 million tonnes of carbon credits to international partners in order to offset their carbon emissions while reducing deforestation in the Kingdom through its REDD+ projects. ...

Samban Chandara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kingdom-sell-more-carbon-credits

Environment ministry warns public to beware of fraudulent brokers selling protected land

The Ministry of Environment has warned the public about scammers who were deceiving people by claiming they legally owned land in protected areas and providing them with fake ownership deeds in bogus land sales when it isn’t possible for anyone to privately own protected land. ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-ministry-warns-public-beware-fraudulent-brokers-selling-protected-land

People in Teuk Chhou district, Kampot province vow to protect Phnom Toteung community forest for the fear of lost forest

This is what the people of Kampong Chen village, Steung Keo commune, Teuk Chhou district, Kampot province said, Phnom Toteung Community Forest is not only a sanctuary for the people who live in the vicinity of this community forest, they can also enjoy non-timber forest ...

Soth Ban
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/11/17/people-in-teuk-chhou-district-vow-to-protect-phnom-toteung-community-forest/

Mondulkiri Srepok wildlife sanctuary chief fired after alleged abuse of locals

The Environment Ministry has ordered provincial officials to fire the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary chief in Mondulkiri province over alleged abuses of power, including threatening local people who were collecting firewood. ...

Mech Dara
https://vodenglish.news/mondulkiri-srepok-wildlife-sanctuary-chief-fired-after-alleged-abuse-of-locals/

Pounong indigenous peoples ask Mondulkiri Provincial Authorities to take action against those clearing their faith mountain

Indigenous people in Laoka village, Sokdom commune, Sen Monorom city, Mondulkiri province, request the authorities to take action to prevent the clearing of the mountainous land, which is a place of worship and the extraction of non-timber forest products as they claim that the perpetrators ...

Meng Kroypunlok
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/11/15/punong-people-ask-the-authorities-to-take-action-against-those-who-cleared-the-mountain/

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