Environment and natural resources

Forests and forestry

Ministry, OHCHR discuss Prey Speu

Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation Vong Soth told the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia that he was pushing measures to improve the management of the Phnom Penh Social Affairs Centre, commonly referred to as Prey ...

Samban Chandara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-ohchr-discuss-prey-speu

Community focused on cardamom farming future

Cardamom is a plant that grows naturally in the foothills of the so-named Cardamom Mountains in Cambodia, mostly in Pursat province. In addition to being a spice for food, it is also sometimes used in traditional herbal medicine. ...

Keo Bosaba
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/community-focused-cardamom-farming-future

Finance minister’s wife gets state land in Keo Seima for ecotourism

Protected areas in Kirirom National Park and the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary are being privatized for companies run by family members of notorious tycoon Choeung Sopheap as well as the wife of the country’s finance minister. ...

Seoung Nimol
https://vodenglish.news/finance-ministers-wife-gets-state-land-in-keo-seima-for-ecotourism/

More rangers deployed to protect Mekong River dolphins

The Kratie provincial authorities have deployed more than 44 rangers with 11 patrol stations along the Mekong River in order to protect the Dolphin Conservation Area. ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501230996/more-rangers-deployed-to-protect-mekong-river-dolphins/

More than 120 Asian bird species found in two protected areas

Preliminary reports from NatureLife researchers show that two of Cambodia’s protected areas serve as habitats for more than 120 Asian bird species. ...

Khmer Times Staff
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501229412/more-than-120-asian-bird-species-found-in-two-protected-areas/

Indigenous women voice collective concerns

A senior environment official called for calm after indigenous women’s communities urged relevant ministries and institutions to address their concerns by including their input into the draft amendments to the protected natural areas and forestry laws. ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/indigenous-women-voice-collective-concerns

Gaur pair join Preah Vihear cattle herd

Two gaurs have been spotted in the Prey Lang area in Preah Vihear province, grazing amongst the cattle of local villagers. Officials have called for the protection of these two specimens. The gaur, Bos gaurus, also known as the Indian bison, is the world’s largest ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/gaur-pair-join-preah-vihear-cattle-herd

Stung Treng risks losing flooded forest on Mekong River

Experts say Cambodia faces the risk of losing its low-lying “flooded forest” along the Mekong River. They claim that Stung Treng province is the most gravely affected. ...

Son Minea
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501224476/stung-treng-risks-losing-flooded-forest-on-mekong-river/

Report says forestry crime decreasing

Park rangers across th country cracked down on 5,376 cases of illegal timber trade, confiscating more than 1,000 cubic metres of wood, and 2,100 chainsaws, a senior Environment Ministry official said. Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the total number of case showed a marked decrease ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501222616/report-says-forestry-crime-decreasing/

Fears grow as draft laws leave out ‘indigenous,’ allow hunting

Changes to forestry and protected area laws are proceeding without enough public input, communities say, as drafts introduce hunting licenses and remove wording about ethnic minorities. The country’s Protected Areas Law and Forestry Law are being amended by the environment and agriculture ministries, respectively, sparking growing ...

Keat Soriththeavy
https://vodenglish.news/fears-grow-as-draft-laws-leave-out-indigenous-allow-hunting/

PLCN report says forestry crimes thriving in protected area

The Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) in Preah Vihear province claims several cases of deforestation have been discovered in the Prey Lang protected area. ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501221254/plcn-report-says-forestry-crimes-thriving-in-protected-area/

Environment ministry scoffs at report by ‘political activists’

A senior environment official rejected a report by the Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) in Preah Vihear province claiming that it had found 73 forest offences in four days of investigating and monitoring the area in Chey Sen district. ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-ministry-scoffs-report-political-activists

Forest commodities exports down in 2022

Cambodia netted $531.864 million from the export of rubber latex and wood in 2022, down 12.85 per cent over 2021, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery’s General Directorate of Rubber (GDR). ...

Hin Pisei
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/forest-commodities-exports-down-2022

White-shouldered ibis numbers increase for 2022 census: ministry

About 800 white-shouldered ibis, one of the world’s rarest and “critically endangered” bird species, have been found in Cambodia, accounting for 80 per cent of their total global population of 1,000. To protect its population, the Ministry of Environment and its conservation partners are continuing ...

Lay Samean
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/white-shouldered-ibis-numbers-increase-2022-census-ministry

Environment activist Ben Davis seeks $50K for canals

As of the end of 2022, environmental activist Ben Davis has dug 19 km of canals and built 7 km of fences and roads in an effort to prevent natural resource crimes from happening in the core areas of the Phnom Tnaot-Phnom Pok wildlife sanctuary ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-activist-ben-davis-seeks-50k-canals

Environment activist Ben Davis seeks $50K for canals

As of the end of 2022, environmental activist Ben Davis has dug 19 km of canals and built 7 km of fences and roads in an effort to prevent natural resource crimes from happening in the core areas of the Phnom Tnaot-Phnom Pok wildlife sanctuary ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-activist-ben-davis-seeks-50k-canals

Monk's community forestry concerned about further loss of forests after nearly 5,000 hectares of forest land

The community has expressed concern that if nearly 5,000 hectares of the Rattanak Rukha community forest, part of the Monk’s community forestry, is cut off to the citizens, it will result in the loss of forests and wildlife habitats of all kinds live in this ...

Meng Kroypunlok
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2023/01/10/govt-plans-to-cut-nearly-5000-hectares-of-forest-from-rukhavorn-community-forest/

Greed for land consumes lakes, forests: Environment 2022

Timber, monkeys, orchids, sand: Cambodia’s protected areas and natural resources continue to be a lucrative source of income, in spite of all the promises (and international funding) to protect them. Above all else, the hunger for land has consumed Cambodians and foreigners alike, triggering a constant ...

Danielle Keeton-Olsen
https://vodenglish.news/greed-for-land-consumes-lakes-forests-environment-2022/

In protected Prey Lang forest, communities pushed out but mining companies welcomed in

Kampong Thom’s Sandan district: Snang An village chief Sok Heng proudly displays a photo of his new home, constructed in July 2021, as his phone’s background image. But Late Cheng Mining Development, a gold mining firm with ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, ...

Khuon Narim and Jack Brook
https://cambojanews.com/in-protected-prey-lang-forest-communities-pushed-out-but-mining-companies-welcomed-in/

Pounong indigenous people in Mondulkiri province complain to local authorities for failing to prevent forest crimes

Four forestry community representatives in Mondulkiri province have filed a complaint with local authorities against the provincial prosecutor’s office, accusing them of failing to prevent forest crime in a timely manner. ...

Va Sopheanut
https://khmer.cambojanews.com/bunong-indigenous-people-in-mondulkiri-province-complain-to-local-authorities-for-failing-to-prevent-forest-crimes/

Forestland encroachers arrested in Mondulkiri

Authorities arrested four people on Tuesday for clearing protected forest land in Mondulkiri Province’s Keo Seima district. ...

Chhun Sunly
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501206689/forestland-encroachers-arrested-in-mondulkiri/

Three community forestry networks join Canadian biodiversity conference

Representatives of three community networks involved in forests and biodiversity protection are invited to attend the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada, on December 7-19, 2022 by considering this involvement as an important motivator for them to continue to protect the forest. ...

Rann Reuy
https://www.postkhmer.com/national/2022-12-13-1734-244662.html

World-Bays Club plants nearly 2.4K mangroves

Officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration led a delegation from the 16th World Congress of the World-Bays Club to plant 2,388 mangrove tree saplings on December 11 in Prey Nop district.​ ...

Vann Sak
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/world-bays-club-plants-nearly-24k-mangroves

For arrested activists, thumbprints on police contracts are often the cost of freedom

 In mid-August, Chhoeun Daravy and eight others found themselves negotiating with police over the wording of a handwritten contract. Officers initially wanted the agreement to say that the nine had “illegally” entered a “prohibited area” in the recently logged Phnom Tamao forest and flew a ...

Ngay Nai and Matt Surrusco
https://cambojanews.com/for-arrested-activists-thumbprints-on-police-contracts-are-often-the-cost-of-freedom/

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