Environment and natural resources

Some 100 ethnic Banong villagers from Sre Hoy commune’s Chhul and Chhong Pang villages in Mondulkiri province’s Koh Nhek district protested on Tuesday after Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary officials allegedly uprooted wooden posts used to demarcate their ancestral burial sites. ...

After receiving an order from Hun Sen, Minister of Land Management Chea Sophara led a team of experts and relevant officials to Sihanoukville to call a halt to the illegal development of a beach. The prime minister ordered the Prek Treng beach in Otres commune ...

The National Committee for the Management and Development of Coastal Zones is taking action against an unnamed company accused of reclaiming parts of Prek Treng beach in Preah Sihanouk province. ...

Stung Treng provincial police have detained six illegal loggers from Laos who were caught crossing in the province on Friday. Provincial police chief Major General Mao Dara yesterday said that the six men are awaiting repatriation to Laos under an agreement between the countries on ...

The Ministry of Tourism has formed a special committee to investigate a private company’s involvement in a condominium construction on coastal land at Prek Treng beach in Preah Sihanouk province. This follows a strong backlash from the public against land reclamation involving the project. ...

September 15 is World Cleanup Day and Cambodia will be participating with 20 million people from 150 countries across the globe, said Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra. He said that this year, working under the theme “Together for a Clean World”, participants in the ...

The Ministry of Environment issued a warning on Wednesday against encroachment on protected natural areas following some instances of intruders clearing forest land for personal gain. It cited examples of encroachment in the Ream, Bokor and Kirirom national parks and the multi-purpose Kbal Chay freshwater ...

While hunting in the Kingdom’s wildlife sanctuaries has abated, the use of traps have become widespread. That, coupled with deforestation, has caused grave concerns among conservationists who fear the extinction of the endangered yellow-cheeked crested gibbons. ...

The Kampong Chhnang provincial department of agriculture, forestry and fishery is working to identify suspects who had mobilised tractors to illegally clear flooded forest in Toek Phos district’s O’krabey Ngob and O’Klong in Chieb communes. ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Wednesday claimed the recent influx of Chinese visitors to Preah Sihanouk province was raising concerns over the condition of ecosystems on the Kingdom’s coast. Speaking during a ceremony to appoint leaders to posts at both the National Authority for Combating ...

The floodwaters of the Mekong River have begun to recede across the country, but concerns remain over damage caused in Stung Treng and Kratie provinces. The Mekong River Committee (MRC) plans to hold an open forum this month on the development of hydropower dams along ...

Stung Treng provincial police yesterday cracked down on an illegal timber operation that was transporting logs along the Sekong river in Stung Treng city. Provincial police chief Major General Mao Dara said the illegal timber operation was using rafts to float illegally felled trees along ...

The Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) has recorded 2,926 cases of forestry crimes in four provinces since February 2015, a report it released on Thursday said. It was based on data collected with a novel smartphone app. ...

Fourteen villagers arrested for illegal logging in Phnom Kravanh district by the national military police on Friday were released with a warning after they agreed not to repeat the offence, officials said. ...

Hundreds of rosewood trees will be planted in Siem Reap province as a natural tourist site and to preserve the rare trees in Cambodia. The provincial information department said on Wednesday that the government planned to plant 500 rosewood trees on 1,888 hectares in Banteay ...

A hual of rosewood timber was confiscated in Pursat province’s Krakor district yesterday, said a military police officer involved in the crackdown. The bust, resulting in the seizure of hundreds of timber pieces and a car that transported them, was carried out by the Pursat ...

Koh Kong provincial authorities detained and educated four people over the clearing of protected forest lands on Monday before releasing them. Deputy Koh Kong Governor Sok Sothy said yesterday that joint authorities cracked down on the land clearing in Koh Kong district. ...

All species of animals in the Sorng Rukhavoan Wildlife Sanctuary are facing danger no thanks to night hunters, despite concerted efforts to stop the crimes, say activists and environment officials. The 30,254-hectare sanctuary spans across the Sorng Rukhavorn and Rattanak Rokha community forests, as well ...

Indigenous people in northeastern provinces yesterday raised concern over wildlife sanctuaries that could be affected by the government’s plan to set up new provinces carved out from Mondulkiri province’s Koh Nhek district and Ratanakkiri province’s Lumphat district. ...

Ministry of Environment senior officials yesterday urged people, especially students, to invent substances to replace those which harm the ozone layer. The call was made during a workshop on “The Implementation of Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in Cambodia” held at ...

The Pailin provincial court on Saturday put four men in pre-trial detention on charges of “illegal mountain excavation” after they were arrested for carving out a mountain in late August. Provincial forestry administration deputy director Min Ravuth identified the suspects as Da Lin, 41; Khe ...

Vultures in the Kingdom are facing an increasingly high risk of extinction as the birds have shown a 50 per cent decline in numbers since the late 2000s, a joint announcement from environmental organisations said on Saturday, quoting a report. ...

Kampong Cham provincial authority halted the sale of wild animals on National Road 6 in Batheay district, which is notorious for the illegal trade. Provincial deputy governor Keo Nearith said on Wednesday, police seized three species of wild animals and arrested a trader. ...

Four natural lakes totalling 300 hectares in Kandal province’s Sa’ang district have been designated state properties while more are set to have the same status. The designation followed illegal encroachment by individuals who intended to claim the lakes as their own, said Kandal provincial governor ...