Environment and natural resources

A total of 52 companies and factories were subjected to legal measures by the Ministry of Environment during the first half of 2025. These measures included fines, correction orders, and in some cases, a complete suspension of production activities. ...

Illegal trawlers have long threatened Cambodia’s coastal marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. ...

The National Assembly (NA) has adopted a draft law on the ratification of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. ...

The Forestry Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced today that cherished female elephant “Lucky” passed away this morning, August 24, following the sudden onset of a serious illness on Friday evening. ...

As the continued use of fossil fuels continues to drive climate risks worldwide, a workshop of industry experts pushed Cambodia to join the global Fossil Fuel Treaty and switch further to renewable energy to meet the global 1.5°C target. ...

The Thai army has confirmed its use of white phosphorus shells during July’s five-day border conflict with Cambodia, but says the action was in full compliance with international law and humanitarian principles because it was not used as a chemical weapon. ...

Environment Minister Eang Sophalleth is leading a team to address environmental damage after a train derailment on Saturday in Tuol Ta Ek village, Battambang city, which resulted in a large diesel spill. ...

Researchers have unearthed a fossilised tree estimated to be between 100,000 and two million years old in Katot village, Kamphun commune, Sesan district, Stung Treng province. The tree is believed to be at least 30 metres long, more than half of which has been excavated. ...

A Siem Reap breeding programme for endangered turtles and tortoises has achieved remarkable success, with 211 hatchlings born so far during the 2025 breeding season. ...

The remains of a fossilised tree estimated to be between 100,000 years and two million years old has been excavated in Stung Treng province. Almost 20 of its estimated 30 metre length has been uncovered, and be used for research, as well as to promote ...

Ministry of Environment officials are assessing the environmental impact of a freight train derailment which took place near Battambang town on August 16. ...

Trade between Australia and Cambodia continues to grow, with Cambodian business Royal Trust Trading Co., Ltd. (RTT) dispatching its first shipment of nuts and dried fruit to Australia on August 14. ...

Cambodia has requested that the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) continue to provide cooperation on key projects aimed at preventing plastic waste pollution in the Tonle Sap Lake, the Mekong River and the sea. ...

Thor Chetha, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology (MoWRAM), Wednesday called for efforts to strengthen sustainable sand resource management, emphasising its crucial role in ensuring a steady supply of materials for construction, infrastructure and industrial projects. ...

Cambodia earned over $387 million from rubber and rubberwood exports in the first seven months of 2025, marking a more than 42 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to a report by the General Department of Rubber. ...

Conservation organisations in Cambodia and the Ministry of Environment have released a message marking World Elephant Day on August 12, with the goal of raising awareness of the importance of protecting Cambodia’s wild elephant population. Only between 400 and 600 remain in the Kingdom. ...

The Ministry of Environment calculates that it prevented more than 10 million cubic metres of untreated wastewater from being discharged into and polluting public water sources during the first seven months of 2025. ...

The Airavata Khmer Elephant Foundation, which cares for the last surviving domestic elephants in Ratanakkiri province, will work more closely with the Ministry of Tourism to help protect the remaining animals and promote the province’s eco-tourism potential. ...

The Ministry of Environment has cancelled the planned ‘Ponlork Baitong’ Exhibition and the National One-Million Palm Tree Planting Event 2025, which were scheduled to take place from August 5 to 7. The ministry highlighted the current need to focus efforts on supporting Cambodia’s frontline soldiers ...

Five of the Kingdom’s towns and districts were included as nominees for ASEAN’s prestigious Environmental Sustainability Awards at the 36th Meeting of ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN) in Langkawi, Malaysia, held from July 28 to 31. ...

Cambodia’s environmental rangers are undergoing increasingly intensive training — similar to their brothers and sisters in the military — and learning new how to use the newest technology to boost their effectiveness in protecting natural resources and ensuring their own safety while they are deep ...

The Ministry of Environment has reported that in the first half of the year, it identified almost 30 factories that were illegally discharging untreated wastewater into public water sources. ...

The Ministry of Environments latest report on natural resource crimes reported a 27% decrease in the number of crimes it intervened in from January to June, when compared to last year. It recorded a total of 986 cases, including the seizure of over 10,000 snares, ...

A new report by Citizens Engaged in Environmental Justice for All (CEEJA) on forest monitoring revealed that Cambodia has lost 120,829 hectares of tree cover in 2023, with nearly half occurring inside these protected areas. The Ministry of Environment has dismissed the report’s findings. ...