Environment and natural resources
Authorities, villagers at odds over Mondulkiri logging
Local authorities say they are struggling to protect the Mondulkiri Protected Forest and the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary from being logged by villagers in the province’s Koh Nhek and Pech Chreada districts, while villagers accuse authorities of colluding with certain logging groups. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/authorities-villagers-odds-over-mondulkiri-logging
Rosewood exports down
In the first nine months of 2015, exports of Cambodian rosewood to China – the Kingdom’s largest market for the protected species – have declined by as much as 95 per cent compared with the same period last year, data released by NGO Forest Trends ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rosewood-exports-down
Sanctuary ‘cleared’ in Kampong Speu
Officials in Kampong Speu province have accused a man of illegally clearing dozens of hectares of land in the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary to grow sugarcane. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sanctuary-cleared-kampong-speu
CSOs seek input on climate policies
Civil society and government representatives met at the Royal University of Phnom Penh yesterday to discuss how both sides can cooperate to formulate climate change policies that fulfill the Kingdom’s treaty obligations in the wake of the historic climate accord reached in Paris earlier this ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/csos-seek-input-climate-policies
Hun Sen slams activists opposing hydropower dams
Prime Minister Hun Sen has called environmental activists objecting to the construction of hydropower dams in Cambodia “extreme” insisting that such developments would benefit millions of people.His remarks came on Wednesday during the inauguration of a dam located on the Tatay river in Koh Kong ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/hun-sen-slams-activists-opposing-hydropower-dams/3117183.html
Environment Minister mainstreams climate change with youth
More than 100 youth and civil servant from relevant institutions took part in a training course this morning on Climate Change for Youth, where the Environment Minister encourage youth to participate in solving issues in relation to climate change at Preah Sihanouk province. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/environment-minister-mainstreams-climate-change-with-youth-9121
Gov’t warns big dry spell, extreme weather coming
The country is headed for a prolonged dry spell for the first half of next year as the El Nino weather phenomenon hits hard, the government warned yesterday, urging people to put water conservation plans into effect now. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/19069/gov---t-warns-big-dry-spell--extreme-weather-coming/
‘Edge effects’ harming forests
Even comparatively small patches of human intrusion into contiguous forestland disproportionately saps forests’ ability to trap harmful carbon, a recent study has shown, a finding that suggests Cambodia’s government may be underestimating the environmental damage caused by logging and development.So-called “forest degradation” – unlike typical ...
Igor Kossov
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/edge-effects-harming-forests
A concession company returns back its license
A local investment company, Norkor Korkthlok company, owned by Oknha Sieng Nam, recently decided to stop investment on Preah Chey Varaman-Norodom National Park in Kulen Mountain and voluntarily return back to the government. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/a-concession-company-returns-back-its-license-9114
Endangered duck returns to Preah Vihear
An endangered white-winged duck was scheduled to be released into the wild in Preah Vihear province yesterday, after being rescued earlier this month. ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/endangered-duck-returns-preah-vihear
Farmers and fishermen warily eye changes to climate
In the Kampong Phluk fishing village on the Tonle Sap lake, home to thousands of families in Siem Reap province, fishermen say their catch this year has been too poor to live on. Ning Ny, chief of Kampong Phluk commune, in Siem Reap, said almost ...
Sok Khemara
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/farmers-and-fishermen-warily-eye-changes-to-climate/3109070.html
Monitoring of airport carbon footprints begins
As airline passenger numbers in the country rocket, Cambodia has taken its first step toward greener air travel by earning the initial level of accreditation from a body that monitors the carbon footprint of airports. ...
Jamie Elliott
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/monitoring-airport-carbon-footprints-begins
Stop harassing forest activists, gov’t told
A network of community activists protecting Prey Lang forest has appealed to the government to prevent all forms of intimidation against its members by courts, police and soldiers as well as local officials involved in the timber business. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/18714/stop-harassing-forest-activists--gov---t-told/
ADB boosts climate funds
The pool of climate finances available to Southeast Asia is set to expand following an announcement by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that it plans to double its climate funding to the region by 2020 – a move welcomed by the Cambodian government and climate ...
Zoe Holman
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/adb-boosts-climate-funds
Plan to reintroduce tigers moves forward
The return of tigers to the Cambodian wild edged a little closer this week, as the wildlife charity spearheading the project sent a representative to India to see how numbers were boosted there and to discuss bringing big cats from the subcontinent to the Kingdom. ...
Jamie Elliott
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/plan-reintroduce-tigers-moves-forward
Cambodia’s indigenous groups suffer under climate change, deforestation
In the remote province of Ratanakiri, in northeastern Cambodia, deforestation and climate change are taking a heavy toll on communities.Drought has damaged crops, from rice to sesame, cashews, beans and potatoes, making it hard for farmers here to earn a living. And deforestation has greatly ...
Sok Khemara
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/cambodia-indigenous-groups-suffer-under-climate-change-deforestation/3102193.html
Cambodia may seek India's help for tiger reintroduction
Cambodia may seek tigers from India as it plans to reinstate the big cat in the Southeast Asian nation. The last tiger was sighted in Cambodia in 2007.Representatives from Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand participated in a two day study programme to understand the successful tiger ...
WWF campaign airs dark possibilities at border
Over 200 people gathered on Friday from across Cambodia to join in a campaign against the construction of the Don Sahong Dam, which has been ongoing in the past month on one of the major channels of the Mekong at the Cambodia-Lao border. The campaign, ...
Aisha Down
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/18634/wwf-campaign-airs-dark-possibilities-at-border/
Thai border shooting injures two loggers
Thai soldiers opened fire on a group of 17 illegal loggers yesterday evening, wounding two, police said.The group had illegally crossed the border into Thailand in Oddar Meanchey province under cover of darkness when they encountered a Thai patrol, according to Brigadier General Men Leu, ...
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/thai-border-shooting-injures-two-loggers
Illegally poached birds seized in Banteay Meanchey
Authorities in Banteay Meanchey province’s Mongkol Borei district seized more than 200 illegally poached birds yesterday, officers there said. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/illegally-poached-birds-seized-banteay-meanchey
Mother nature’s youthful ambassadors get to work
Forty young environmental envoys began training on December 5 to become Young Eco Ambassadors, tasked with raising awareness of the need to protect the environment. ...
Duch Lalin
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/18498/mother-nature---s-youthful-ambassadors-get-to-work/
Forest patrols duel in Prey Lang
As activists from Prey Lang forest received the prestigious Equator Prize in Paris on Monday, another, parallel network was asserting itself in Kampong Thom province – one with close ties to the security forces and local governor.The Prey Lang Forest Community Network (PLFCN), funded by ...
Daniel Pye and Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/forest-patrols-duel-prey-lang
Schools to learn disaster risk reduction
The Education Ministry will include an internationally agreed disaster risk reduction component in school curriculums from next year as part of a growing global move to teach students and communities how to deal with events such as flooding and major storms. ...
Chea Takihiro
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/18489/schools-to-learn-disaster-risk-reduction/
Elephants get love and care in Cambodia, with tourists' help
The trip to the hills of eastern Cambodia had all the makings of a luxurious getaway: delicious fresh fruit fed by hand, a dip in a refreshingly cold watering hole and a relaxing massage. At the Mondulkiri Project, it’s not the people who call the ...
Kristi Eaton
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory/elephants-love-care-cambodia-tourists-35653275