Environment and natural resources

Forests and forestry

Mondulkiri officials probe Bunong logging allegations

Mondulkiri provincial environment officials are working to identify loggers who a Bunong indigenous community accused of clearing nearly 100ha of community forest in Koh Nhek district’s Rayum commune. ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/mondulkiri-officials-probe-bunong-logging-allegations

Gov’t says wood from Tamao clearing given to locals, not sold

About 530 hectares of land in Tamao Sanctuary in Takeo province’s Bati district was cleared by a developer last month and the public has accused the government of selling the felled trees for profit, a claim authorities vehemently rejects. ...

Chhun Sunly
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501153040/govt-says-wood-from-tamao-clearing-given-to-locals-not-sold/

Mondulkiri indigenous request authorities to stop encroachment of forest land at Phnom Prech wildlife sanctuary

Representatives of indigenous communities in Mondulkiri province request the Ministry of Environment and relevant institutions to investigate and prevent illegal forest land expansion at “Phnom Prech Wildlife Sanctuary” from an unidentified group and punish them according to the law. ...

Nat Sopheap
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/09/15/mondulkiri-indigenous-request-authorities-to-stop-encroachment-on-forest-land-at-phnom-prech-wildlife-sanctuary/

NGO urges law amendments to provide for indigenous people

The draft amendment of the Law on Protected Areas and the Forestry Law should provide indigenous communities with traditional right to livelihood and beliefs, protection and management of natural resources, a non-government organisation said at a press conference yesterday. ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501147611/ngo-urges-law-amendments-to-provide-for-indigenous-people/

Wife mourns Ratanakiri environmentalist’s imprisonment

Chhorn Phalla became one of Cambodia’s prominent forest defenders, fronting a press conference two years ago about local authorities’ alleged complicity in illegal deforestation, violence against him at a public forum, and having a shelter burned down on his plantation. ...

Meng Kroypunlok
https://vodenglish.news/wife-mourns-ratanakiri-environmentalists-imprisonment/

Indigenous Kuoy call for Preah Roka forest crime investigation

The Kuoy indigenous community in Preah Vihear province has called for relevant institutions to investigate the true scale of forest crimes in the Preah Roka Wildlife Sanctuary after finding 249 cases in August. ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/indigenous-kuoy-call-preah-roka-forest-crime-investigation

Power line markers reveal looming path of destruction in Prey Lang

In early March, Auon Seap noticed a group of unknown men approach his farm on a koyun, an elongated tractor mostly used for farming or logging. Strangers are not so common in his village on the northeastern edge of the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. ...

Keat Soriththeavy and Danielle Keeton-Olsen
https://vodenglish.news/power-line-markers-reveal-looming-path-of-destruction-in-prey-lang/

Illegal logging rife in RAC park

The Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC) has found eight cases of deforestation and land encroachment in the Techo Sen Russey Treb Park in Preah Vihear province. ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501146255/illegal-logging-rife-in-rac-park/

REDD+ soon one-third of protected land

The government is aiming to boost the sale of carbon credits by expanding the scheme to all protected areas in Cambodia, according to Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra. The ministry is currently preparing an additional REDD+ project on 1.19 million hectares of land, which ...

Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/redd-soon-one-third-protected-land

Civil society planted more than 1,000 trees in Udom Sre Pus community after soldiers installed bulldozers

Civil society groups have planted trees at the Udom Sre Pus and Prey Metta Natural communities in Trapeang Chor commune, Oral district, Kampong Speu, after the army troops installed bulldozers almost completely. ...

Khut Sokun
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/09/05/civil-society-planted-more-1000-saplings-udom-sre-pus-community-soldiers-installed/

Preah Vihear’s indigenous patrollers red flag Preah Roka logging

Indigenous community patrollers found around 250 cases of suspected deforestation at Preah Vihear’s Prey Preah Roka forest during two patrols in July and August, and are urging authorities to allow more patrols into the forest. ...

Meng Kroypunlok
https://vodenglish.news/preah-vihears-indigenous-patrollers-red-flag-preah-roka-logging/

Task Force is investigating a military police officer in the case of logging around Prey Lang

A senior military official claims that they are investigating the Deputy Director of the Office of Military Police Defamation who cut down the trees and buy timbers in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. ...

Khan Leakhena
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/09/02/task-force-is-investigating-a-military-police-officer-in-the-case-of-logging-around-prey-lang/

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbons see tourist upswing

Endangered species conservation scientists from the NGO Conservation International (CI) have announced the resumption of their mission in the Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park in Ratanakkiri and Stung Treng provinces after having made a series of discoveries since 2007 of nearly 400 groups of yellow-cheeked ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/yellow-cheeked-crested-gibbons-see-tourist-upswing

Rangers take on 4,250 crimes since January

Since 2017, the Kingdom’s park rangers have intervened in over 8,000 forestry and wildlife crimes a year, with more than 800 cases referred to courts. ...

Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rangers-take-4250-crimes-january

Red muntjac population surveyed in Mondulkiri

Researchers from the Mondulkiri provincial Department of Environment have deployed motion-sensor cameras at 25 sites in Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary to monitor the number of red muntjac, amid concerns that its population may be declining due to illegal hunting and trapping. ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/red-muntjac-population-surveyed-mondulkiri

Cambodia’s forests cover 8.5 million hectares

Forest coverage in Cambodia accounts for 46.86 percent or approximately 8.5 million hectares of the country’s land area, Ministry of Environment’s report showed. ...

Khmer Times Staff
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501142217/cambodias-forests-cover-8-5-million-hectares/

Ratanakiri land dispute escalates amid indigenous frustration

Nine Tampoun villagers are facing an imminent court verdict over allegedly stealing wood from a Chinese concessionaire with which Ratanakiri communities have been locked in an escalating dispute. ...

Phin Rathana
https://vodenglish.news/ratanakiri-land-dispute-escalates-amid-indigenous-frustration/

Ratanakiri Land Dispute Escalates Amid Indigenous Frustration

Nine Tampoun villagers are facing an imminent court verdict over allegedly stealing wood from a Chinese concessionaire with which Ratanakiri communities have been locked in an escalating dispute. ...

Phin Rathana
https://vodenglish.news/ratanakiri-land-dispute-escalates-amid-indigenous-frustration/

Ministry issues uniforms for community forest patrols

Members of local communities assisting park rangers in patrolling and protecting natural resources and protected areas have been issued community uniforms by the Ministry of Environment to make these people easily identifiable. ...

Torn Vibol
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501138956/ministry-issues-uniforms-for-community-forest-patrols/

Preah Vihear provincial administration seeks land settlement for 131 families after dispute with private company

Preah Vihear provincial administration met with four villagers representing 131 families on Monday to seek a land settlement after a dispute with an economic land concession company there. ...

Khut Sokun
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/08/22/preah-vihear-authority-seeks-land-settlement-for-131-families/

Preah Vihear journalist assaulted by military commander

 A journalist in Preah Vihear province says he was beaten up by an army commander after he accidentally witnessed what he suspected to be the illegal transportation of timber. ...

Seoung Nimol and Try Thaney
https://cambojanews.com/preah-vihear-journalist-assaulted-by-military-commander/

Conservation draft laws go under review by ministry’s working group

Minister of Justice Koeut Rith has set up a working group to review and advise on the penalty provisions of the draft laws on fisheries, forestry and protected natural areas before submitting them to the Council of Ministers for approval. ...

Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/conservation-draft-laws-go-under-review-ministrys-working-group

Hundreds from bodyguard unit take over Phnom Tamao reforestation efforts

The military personnel — primarily in charge of protecting the Cambodian prime minister — were seen to be managing the outflow of trees being transported by workers but also blocking access to the cleared forest. They detained five VOD journalists and four activists in the ...

Keat Soriththeavy, Danielle Keeton-Olsen and Pa Sokheng
https://vodenglish.news/hundreds-from-bodyguard-unit-take-over-phnom-tamao-reforestation-efforts/

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