Environment and natural resources

The French government, through the French Development Agency (AFD), has provided two credit agreements worth €75 million ($91 million) to Cambodia to support sustainable agricultural and rural development, as well as climate change fight in Cambodia. ...

The Kampot provincial authorities will grant land titles for 2,500 plots covering 6,649ha in Preah Monivong Bokor National Park to local residents who applied for official occupation and usage permits, according to the provincial Department of Environment director Suy Thea. ...

The Ministry of Environment is planning to declare wild Kesor Kol plants – a type of orchid – an endangered species with increased protections, according to the ministry’s secretary of state Neth Pheaktra. Pheaktra also warned of legal action against those who collect or sell wild Kesor ...

Ibis Rice Conservation Co Ltd (IBIS Rice) has signed a financing agreement with South Korean-owned Phnom Penh Commercial Bank Plc (PPCBank) to support 1,500 smallholder farmers to grow organic wildlife-friendly jasmine rice, which will help protect endangered species while also earning a premium price for ...

The U.S. Department of State has launched the Mekong Dam Monitor in collaboration with the Stimson Center and Eyes on Earth. The new Mekong Dam Monitor is a significant step toward improving understanding of the water conditions in the Mekong River Basin. ...

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is investigating whether a tycoon has the right to occupy more than 400ha of flooded mangrove forest in the Chrolong community area in Teuk La’ak commune in Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nop district. ...

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) issued its Human Development Report 2020 on December 16, suggesting that Cambodia could become a model country to demonstrate a sustainable balance between the parallel processes of development and conservation. ...

The ministries of Environment and Interior have jointly established a new working group to review and integrate sanitation and environmental measures into the so-called Safe Village/Commune policy.​​ The government hopes to inspire residents to address hygiene and solid waste management in communities nationwide. ...

BirdLife International Cambodia Programme has expressed concern about the presence of humans that are possibly disrupting the nesting of lesser adjutant storks in Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary in Ratanakkiri province, a region under serious threat from habitat loss and disruption due to human activities. ...

The Ministry of Environment and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on environmental issues in Cambodia have expressed concern over the growing amount of plastic waste in Cambodia’s waterways, as many fishermen are now complaining that they have caught more rubbish than fish over the past ...

Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth said the government welcomed investments worth €80 million ($97 million) from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the Irrigated Agriculture Improvement Project (IAIP) in Cambodia.​ ...

The Forestry Administration said yesterday that forestry crime, mostly timber and wildlife, has increased 19 percent in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. ...

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has urged the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to expedite their work in support of a joint project to develop the Kampong Thom province Stung Chinit Irrigation system and conserve local endangered species. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen said although Cambodia has significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to many other nations at the global level, the country remains highly committed to addressing the climate issue while working within the limits of its resources and capacities. ...

The National Committee for the Prevention and Crackdown on Natural Resource Crimes, in collaboration with environment and Forestry Administration officials, cracked down on 3,312 forest crimes and arrested 228 offenders from December 2019 to November this year. ...

The Preah Vihear Provincial Court has set tentative dates in December this year to announce the verdicts for three separate wildlife sanctuary land grab cases, which happened last year. Provincial court spokeswoman Chum Kaniya said on December 10 that the court’s investigating judge had heard ...

The National Committee for the Prevention and Crackdown of Natural Resource Crimes still claims there are no large-scale forest crimes in the Kingdom, despite forest activists saying that logging is taking place because people are unemployed. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen will take part in the “Leader-level virtual Climate Ambition Summit” to be held on Dec. 12, 2020, at the invitation from world leaders. ...

Senior Ministry of Environment officials and civil society organisations have expressed concern over the threat to wildlife by poisoning in rice fields, lakes and ponds where they feed. ...

Authorities in Battambang province’s Ek Phnom district have been given permission to begin restoration of Takom Lake, a 10ha ancient lake located in the district’s Peam Ek commune. ...

Forest protection activists in Kampong Thom province have expressed concern over increased illegal logging in Prey Lang forest as authorities are preoccupied with the recent COVID-19 situation. ...

The Japanese government will provide a $3 million grant to help Cambodia fight marine plastic pollution and promote a responsible cycle of using, reusing and recycling all forms of plastic waste.​The grant will fund an anti-waste project to be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, ...

Psod Kbal Trolork or Mekong dolphin or Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is a national treasure of Cambodia which requires participation from all stakeholders in its conservation. ...

The Pursat Provincial Administration has ordered five commune chiefs in Veal Veng district to annul land titles in the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary. ...