Ministries and other national bodies
Ministry of Environment
Caught up in the middle
Sheltering under a blue tarpaulin amid dense woodland in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains, Nhean* sits and waits for night to fall after a long day scouring the protected forest for luxury timber. He says he works for a broker who is a supplier to one of Cambodia’s ...
May Titthara
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/caught-middle
Ministries switch up new office
The Ministry of Interior has asked the government to grant what would have been the new location of the Ministry of Environment in Meanchey district’s Niroth commune to the newly created General Departments of Identification and Immigration instead, according to an official spokesman. ...
May Titthara
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/ministries-switch-new-office
Koh Kong gov to bring petition to Say Sam Al
Koh Kong Governor Bun Leart has promised villagers evicted from their land by Chinese-owned Union Development Group that he will give their petition to Minister of Environment Say Sam Al today. ...
Sen David
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/koh-kong-gov-bring-petition-say-sam-al
Economic growth has come at high cost, experts warn
Experts say that Cambodia’s economic growth remains fragile and unsustainable, bringing environmental degradation, social inequality and, at times, unrest to the country. Cambodia has maintained a high economic growth rate in recent years, up to 8 percent, “but that high growth comes with high costs,” said ...
Khoun Theara
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/economic-growth-has-come-at-high-cost-experts-warn/2427241.html
Croc release at dam site planned
A conservation group may release 20 baby Siamese crocodiles into the Areng Valley amid an ongoing stand-off between villagers and a Chinese firm over the construction of a controversial hydropower dam in Koh Kong province. Tuy Serey Vathana, country directory at Fauna and Flora International, said ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/croc-release-dam-site-planned
Tougher ELC oversight pledged
In what is the government’s latest pledge to hold tycoons and foreign investors to account for their business practices, the Ministry of Environment will begin assessing existing and proposed economic land concessions (ELCs), cancelling or rejecting those that have negative social or environment impacts, a ...
May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/tougher-elc-oversight-pledged
Minister meets NGOs over ongoing UDG dispute
Environment Minister Say Sam Al on Thursday met with U.N. and NGO representatives to discuss the ongoing dispute between the powerful Chinese-owned Union Development Group (UDG) and villagers in Koh Kong province who say they were kicked off their land and had their shelters torched. In ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/minister-meets-ngos-over-ongoing-udg-dispute-64952/
Minister lauds controversial sugar industry
Environment Minister Say Sam Al on Wednesday lauded the country’s controversial sugar industry and the jobs it has created, saying that companies operating in the sector need to be defended against the widespread criticism they have been receiving. Rights groups and the opposition CNRP have undertaken ...
Khuon Narim and Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/minister-lauds-controversial-sugar-industry-64810/
Ministry vows to take some ELC land back
Amid promises reiterated by the government yesterday that it will take a tougher stance on economic land concessions, logging tycoon Try Pheap minimally reduced his sweeping natural resource empire, returning more than 20,000 hectares of undeveloped forestry. It was unclear what kind of arrangement prompted Pheap ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-vows-take-some-elc-land-back
How Cambodia’s secretive timber auctions are fueling the illegal logging trade
In the predawn hours of May 6, a flatbed truck packed with lengths of illegally logged timber sped past a checkpoint in Ratanakkiri province, knocking aside a police car and racing off. Police later tracked down the truck to a house in Banlung City. In the ...
Zsombor Peter and Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/how-cambodias-secretive-timber-auctions-are-fueling-the-illegal-logging-trade-63919/
EU gives park protection
A huge area of Ratanakkiri province’s Virachey National Park has been declared a protected area under a European Union-funded plan that government officials say will shift forest communities away from dependence on depleted forest byproducts. Chhay Samith, head of protected natural areas at the Ministry of ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/eu-gives-park-protection
More ministers to be questioned in National Assembly
The National Assembly decided to summon three ministers to answer lawmakers’ questions on the work performance of their respective ministries, a lawmaker said Friday. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=N2U0NDU5NTZmYmI
Climate change plan sparse on particulars
The Ministry of Environment yesterday shared its vision for a greener, less-carbon-emitting, climate-resilient Cambodia, but presented few detailed steps towards getting there, and even fewer financial particulars. The 10-year strategic initiative did not offer any further financial guidance. Though it identifies eight priority areas and ...
Laignee Barron and Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/climate-change-plan-sparse-particulars
Parliament to summon 3 ministers for questioning
The National Assembly plans to summon three ministers for questioning over compensation to families who will be displaced or harmed by development projects, officials from the National Assembly said Sunday. Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, said the National Assembly would write to Environment Minister Say ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/parliament-to-summon-3-ministers-for-questioning-62093/
Environment Ministry breaks ground on new location
The Ministry of Environment broke ground Monday on its new location on a piece of land near Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich island after the environment minister called off a land swap that had been shrouded in secrecy. About 200 officials attended the ceremony in Chaktomuk commune, ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-breaks-ground-on-new-location-60873/
Cambodia, FAO ink deal to battle climate impacts on agriculture
The Cambodian Ministry of Environment and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday signed a five-year cooperation agreement with an aim to reduce climate impacts on agriculture, according to a joint statement. The agreement was inked jointly by Cambodian Minister of Environment Say ...
Global Post News Staff
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/140609/cambodia-fao-ink-deal-battle-climate-impacts-agriculture
March for the Environment Halted by Police
Some 400 students, monks and activists were stopped from a peaceful march for Environmental Day on Thursday, as they sought to deliver petitions to the Ministry of Environment and other institutions calling for an end to deforestation. Cambodia’s forests provide many services to the rural poor, ...
Suy Heimkhemra
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/march-for-the-environment-halted-by-police/1930290.html
Sanctuary ‘protected’
More than 2,000 hectares of the decimated Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary in Ratanakkiri province have been classified by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) as the sanctuary’s first community protected area. Surrounded by three economic land concessions in Kon Mom district, the protected area is populated by a ...
Phak Seangly and Amelia Woodside
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sanctuary-%E2%80%98protected%E2%80%99
‘Deforestation plagues ASEAN’
Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have never been higher, but Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries are still failing to curb emissions created by heavy deforestation, according to a new report. Forest land in ASEAN countries declined by more than 6 per cent ...
Phak Seangly and Laignee Barron
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/%E2%80%98deforestation-plagues-asean%E2%80%99
Ministry swapped in deal with timber magnate
In yet another land swap deal that will see lucrative state-owned land handed to a private business in exchange for a new building on cheaper land, the Try Pheap Group has built a new headquarters for the Women’s Affairs Ministry in Stung Meanchey commune. In return, ...
Aun Pheap and Alex Consiglio
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-swapped-in-deal-with-timber-magnate-59216/
Oz an example for mining reform
Inspired by Australian mining regulations, the Cambodian government is considering a raft of changes to the mineral resources mining law, including a rethink of the sector’s comparatively high tax rate. Citing discussions held with Western Australia state mining industry representatives last week, Meng Saktheara, secretary of ...
Eddie Morton
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/oz-example-mining-reform
Villagers questioned over land dispute
Five men in Koh Kong province could be prosecuted for stealing from a construction crew after the group allegedly seized tools in January, preventing the construction team from building fences in their village. Police summonsed the villagers from Kiri Sakor district’s Prek Khsach commune for questioning ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/villagers-questioned-over-land-dispute
Government urges land concession firms to respect law
Environment Minister Say Sam Al met with private firms with land concessions last week to gauge their compliance with government rules and regulations, and adherence to their own contracts. Amid mounting local and international pressure, Prime Minister Hun Sen in mid-2012 ordered a freeze on ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-urges-land-concession-firms-to-respect-law-57474/
(ខ្មែរ) GW៖ កម្ពុជាជាប្រទេសដែលសកម្មជនការពារបរិស្ថាននិងដីធ្លីជាច្រើនត្រូវបានសម្លាប់
អង្គការការពារធនធានធម្មជាតិឈ្មោះ ក្លូបប៊ល វីតណែស្ស (Global Witness = GW) ចាត់ទុកកម្ពុជា ថាជាប្រទេសមួយដែលមានសកម្មជនការពារបរិស្ថាន និងដីធ្លីជាច្រើនត្រូវបានគេសម្លាប់។ ស្ថាប័នអន្តរជាតិមួយនេះ អំពាវនាវឲ្យរដ្ឋាភិបាលចាត់វិធានការឲ្យបានតឹងរ៉ឹង ដើម្បីបញ្ឈប់ការគំរាមកំហែងនានាទៅលើសកម្មជនការពារបរិស្ថាន និងដីធ្លី។ នៅក្នុងរបាយការណ៍សិក្សាចុះថ្ងៃទី១៥ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១៤ អង្គការក្លូបប៊ល វីតណែស្ស បានផ្តល់ចំណាត់ថ្នាក់ដល់កម្ពុជា ស្ថិតក្នុងលំដាប់លេខ៩ ក្នុងចំណោមប្រទេសទាំងអស់ចំនួន៣៥ ដែលមានសកម្មជនការពារបរិស្ថាន និងដីធ្លី ត្រូវបានគេសម្លាប់។ ក្នុងចំណោមប្រទេសទាំង៣៥ នោះ ប្រទេសដែលសកម្មជនការពារបរិស្ថាន និងដីធ្លីត្រូវបានគេសម្លាប់ច្រើនជាងគេ រួមមានប្រទេសប្រេស៊ីល (Brazil) ប្រទេសហុងឌុយរ៉ាស់ (Honduras) ប្រទេសហ្វីលីពីន (Philippines) ប្រទេសប៉េរូ (Peru) និងប្រទេសកូឡុំប៊ី (Columbia)។ ចំណែកប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ជាប់ចំណាត់ថ្នាក់លេខ៩ គឺនៅពីក្រោយប្រទេសម៉ិចស៊ិក (Mexico) ហ្គាតេម៉ាឡា (Guatemala) និងប្រទេសថៃ (Thailand)។ ...