Environment and natural resources
Villagers Struggle in Face of Chinese Tourism Project
Villagers along the Koh Kong province’s coastline have been relocated by a Chinese development company as they have not been granted access to their farm land which falls within the development area and are running short of food. 20 tons of rice have been delivered ...
Villagers Block Rubber Company From Forest
60 villagers in Svay Rieng province demonstrated to prevent the Mittapheap Rubber Company from moving its machinery into the area. The company has plans to clear 500 hectares of land in what the villagers claim is their protected community forest. Adhoc is investigating the claims ...
Army aided loggers: US Cable
A US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks from the Embassy in Bangkok has provided evidence that Cambodian soldiers were providing assistance and protection to loggers along the Thai-Cambodian border. Some of the loggers were killed in clashes with Thai troops. The allegations have been denied ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011072250578/National-news/army-aided-loggers-us-cable.html
Koh Kong king halted
Ly Yong Phat and his company LYP Group have been ordered to cease all dredging operations on the Tatai river pending a review of the effects by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology. LYP Group currently has a permit to dredge seven areas of ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011072250582/National-news/koh-kong-king-halted.html
Battambang districts facing drought
Four districts and over a thousand families are facing a drought in Battambang province. More rain is needed as approximately 70 percent of the province’s 250,000 hectares of rice paddies have been planted. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries chief of the rice department Ngin ...
Crops in Peril Amid Provinces’ Ongoing Drought
Rice growing provinces such as Battambang, Kandal and Takeo are suffering a drought as monsoon rains have not affected the areas. Harvests are expected to fail or fall short of expectations if rain does not fall on the farmland within the next few weeks. 2,000 ...
US Cables Say Sesan River Had No Warning System for Floods
WikiLeaks has recently released US diplomatic cables that show that the there was no warning system along the Sesan river in Ratanakkiri province for floods in 2007. There have been many complaints by the communities along the river of the floods caused by dams along ...
Land in wildlife sanctuary awarded to private firms
More than 17,000 hectares of land inside the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary have been awarded by Prime Minister Hun Sen to companies for for agroindustrial development. Two concessions were made of 9,059 hectares and 8,591 hectares in the Trapaing Chor and the Omlaing communes. The ...
Premier orders review of marine dredging
Prime Minister Hun Sen has order a review of dredging operations and the impacts that they have on Cambodia’s islands and beaches. Freshwater dredging has also been ordered to go under review, with the Prime Minister calling for the Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology ...
Boeng Kak Project Breaks Ground Amid Continued Protests
CPP Senator Lao Meng Khin was joined by his wife as they broke ground on the controversial project taking place at Phnom Penh’s Boeng Kak Lake. They unveiled the architectural renderings of the towers to be built on what used to be the site of ...
US senators raise Mekong dams
US senators are pushing for a resolution that would use US influence within the Mekong basin to ensure that the construction of hydroelectric dams, such as the Xayaburi dam in Laos, would meet exacting environmental standards. The resolution would not be law but rather policy ...
Sell-Off of Wildlife Areas Faster than Believed
500 sq km of land from three conservation areas have been granted by the Cambodian government to agribusiness companies. Prime Minister Hun Sen has approved 50,750 hectares, through nine concessions, to be granted areas of land that were previously conservation areas. Reththy Kiri Sakor Co. ...
Fishermen catch a rough deal
Fish yields have supposedly dropped by 20 to 30 percent according to fisherman, as a result of the destruction of natural marine environments such as mangroves and the increase in the number of people fishing. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries estimated the total number ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011070850280/National-news/fishermen-catch-a-rough-deal.html
Pesticide poisons scores
After the So Ngoun Company sprayed pesticides in Kampot province approximately 90 villagers have become ill. They are being treated for vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness after drinking contaminated water, as the pesticide flowed downstream after some rains. The pesticide was sprayed in order to rid ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011070750245/National-news/pesticide-poisons-scores.html
Concern grows over forest concession
Sixty community representatives from Preah Vihear and Kampong Thom provinces expressed concern yesterday over a string of recent economic land concessions granted within the bounds of the Boeung Per Wildlife Sanctuary. At a press conference held in Preah Vihear’s Rovieng district yesterday, they claimed the ...
More Concessions Granted in Protected Areas
Six additional economic land concessions have been granted, totaling 46,000 hectares in protected areas. As a means to spur agribusiness companies the concessions include two in Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary in Kompong Speu province. Prime Minister Hun Sen signed in the grants on June 3 ...