Ministries and other national bodies
Ministry of Environment
Expansion approved for Bokor National Park
New resorts, restaurants and casinos could be coming to Bokor National Park after environment officials endorsed an “improved” plan for the mountain along with oknha Sok Kong’s hotel company, according to the government’s news agency. ...
Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/expansion-approved-bokor-national-park
Cambodia tops region for fires detected from space
Yet again, the Kingdom this year burns brighter than its neighbours, with fires in Cambodia being detected from space at a much higher rate than any other country in the region, according to a NASA report published last week. It’s likely a product of both ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-tops-region-fires-detected-space
Agreement signed to protect Prey Lang forest
The Environment Ministry, partner organisations and a Japanese company expect that implementation of a $1.5 million forest conservation project for three years will help prevent forest crime, biodiversity loss and improve the livelihoods of community members in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50112028/agreement-signed-protect-prey-lang-forest/
Few leopards in Cambodia: report
A new study has revealed that the last breeding population of leopards in Cambodia is at immediate risk of extinction after declining a staggering 72 percent over a five-year period. The population represents the last remaining leopards in all of eastern Indochina – a region that ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50112025/leopards-cambodia-report/
Koh Kong villagers petition ministries
Fourteen families from Koh Kong province’s Kiri Sakor district have asked the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Land Management to intervene in their land dispute with the Union Development Group. The 14 families, from Prek Khsach and Phnhi Meas communes, delivered their petition to the ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50111863/koh-kong-villagers-petition-ministries/
Japan to aid Prey Lang forest protection
The Ministry of Environment and Japan will today sign a $600,000 agreement on forest conservation for a period of three years in the Prey Lang forest, which spans four provinces. The project will focus on forest conservation, legal strengthening and community forestry development, according to a ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50111840/japan-aid-prey-lang-forest-protection/
Government defers logging permits
The Council of Ministers has ordered a temporary suspension to permits for clearing and transporting timber from the reservoir area of the Lower Sesan II Dam until after the upcoming elections in July, with a government official yesterday saying illegal logging was “out of control”, ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/government-defers-logging-permits
Duong Sruoch Group denies clearing in wildlife sanctuary
A representative with Duong Sruoch Group in Preah Vihear yesterday denied allegations that that the company had been illegally clearing forest outside the boundaries of social land concessions it had been licensed to log. Duong Sruoch Group was specifically named in a directive issued Monday by ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/duong-sruoch-group-denies-clearing-wildlife-sanctuary
Licences to log SLCs are ordered revoked
The Council of Ministers has ordered licences granted to private companies to log and collect timber from social land concessions (SLC) and state-owned land revoked, following years of allegations that some companies were exploiting the permits to carry out illegal logging. The council on Monday released ...
Phak Seangly and Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/licences-log-slcs-are-ordered-revoked
Ministries to form taskforce to protect forests
The Environment Ministry has requested the National Defence Ministry to form a joint working group over the use of land in natural protected areas to cut down on land disputes and instances of illegal logging. Defence Ministry spokesman General Chhum Sucheat said both parties agreed last ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110603/ministries-form-taskforce-protect-forests/
Officials inspect forest that was filled in, sold
On the orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Koh Kong provincial authorities on Friday inspected a section of protected mangrove forest that in December was discovered to have been filled in with sand and illegally sold, with the consent of local authorities, to tycoon Chea ...
Phak Seangly and Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-inspect-forest-was-filled-sold
Heritage park gets boundary posts
Forty concrete posts have been placed at key locations along the boundary of Phnom Tbeng Natural Heritage Park in Preah Vihear province, paving the way for rangers to patrol the park and enforce forestry and wildlife protection laws. The work was conducted by officials from the ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110230/heritage-park-gets-boundary-posts/
PM orders investigation into Koh Kong land grab
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ordered the Koh Kong provincial governor to clarify reports that state mangrove forests in the province have been grabbed and filled with sand to create land for development. Speaking during the closing ceremony for an annual conference on decentralisation, Mr Hun ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110227/pm-orders-investigation-koh-kong-land-grab/
Army, Ministry of Environment agree to cooperate
Environment Minster Say Sam Al and Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Commander Pol Saroeun announced three new points of cooperation following a meeting earlier this week, Saroeun announced on his official Facebook page. ...
Yesenia Amaro and Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/army-ministry-environment-agree-cooperate
Officials seek assistance in planning for marine park
Environmental officials confirmed yesterday that they are seeking the assistance of conservation NGO Fauna and Flora International (FFI) in drafting a management plan for the new Koh Rong Marine National Park, and that for now, the previous conservation structure operated by the Fisheries Administration and ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-seek-assistance-planning-marine-park
Koh Kong probing filling in of mangrove forest
The illegal filling of a mangrove forest in Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary is being investigated, Koh Kong provincial authorities said yesterday, though officials say they still don’t know who is behind the crime. Sok Sothy, deputy provincial governor, said the sand dredging and filling in of ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/koh-kong-probing-filling-mangrove-forest
Killings fail to deter WCS
The Wildlife Conservation Society has said it is committed to continue working with the authorities and other partners to protect Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary after three conservationists, including one WCS staff member were killed last month. Tern Soknai, a forest ranger with the Environment Ministry, Sek ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108637/killings-fail-to-deter-wcs/
Prey Lang ceremony due next month
Nearly 400 members of the Prey Lang Community Network will hold the annual Prey Lang ceremony in late March to commemorate and preserve indigenous identities and promote the forest’s potential. Meanwhile, Prey Lang activists have claimed illegal logging still exists in the area, even though the ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108639/prey-lang-ceremony-due-next-month/
Rise in timber exports to Vietnam
The value of logs and sawn wood exported from Cambodia to Vietnam last year increased by about $31.5 million compared to 2016, customs data has shown. The Vietnamese data, obtained by Khmer Times yesterday, said about 163,071 cubic metres of Cambodian logs were imported to the ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50107116/rise-timber-exports-vietnam/
Stung Treng officials crack down on dredging site
Stung Treng provincial authorities on Friday shut down an illegal sand dredging operation on the Sesan River and confiscated equipment after having warned the company to cease operations since December, officials said yesterday. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/stung-treng-officials-crack-down-dredging-site
$540m Mekong project endorsed
Environment ministers from the six countries of the Greater Mekong subregion endorsed a five-year environment agenda that includes more than $540 million worth of projects to spur green investments and increase environmental cooperation to help the subregion achieve sustainable growth. ...
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50106157/540m-mekong-project-endorsed/
Environment officials target special economic zones
An environment-monitoring working group from the Environment Ministry and the Council for the Development of Cambodia plans to meet with the owners of nearly 50 special economic zones across the country to promote standards on environmental protection and liquid waste management. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50105456/environment-officials-target-special-economic-zones/
Phnom Penh’s sewers criticised
Interior Minister Sar Kheng bemoaned Phnom Penh’s sewage infrastructure and criticised the Ministry of Environment for allowing untreated waste water to flow into the Mekong and Bassac rivers in unscripted remarks on Monday. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/phnom-penhs-sewers-criticised
Patrols crack sanctuary crime
Community patrols in Mondulkiri province confiscated more than 500 snares and 80 chainsaws last year while arresting seven people and warning 57 others over illegal activities. According to a Wildlife Conservation Society statement issued yesterday, the patrols were led by Environment Ministry officials and members of ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50103745/patrols-crack-sanctuary-crime/