Environment and natural resources

Forests and forestry

Power line markers reveal looming path of destruction in Prey Lang

In early March, Auon Seap noticed a group of unknown men approach his farm on a koyun, an elongated tractor mostly used for farming or logging. Strangers are not so common in his village on the northeastern edge of the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. ...

Keat Soriththeavy and Danielle Keeton-Olsen
https://vodenglish.news/power-line-markers-reveal-looming-path-of-destruction-in-prey-lang/

Illegal logging rife in RAC park

The Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC) has found eight cases of deforestation and land encroachment in the Techo Sen Russey Treb Park in Preah Vihear province. ...

Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501146255/illegal-logging-rife-in-rac-park/

REDD+ soon one-third of protected land

The government is aiming to boost the sale of carbon credits by expanding the scheme to all protected areas in Cambodia, according to Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra. The ministry is currently preparing an additional REDD+ project on 1.19 million hectares of land, which ...

Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/redd-soon-one-third-protected-land

Civil society planted more than 1,000 trees in Udom Sre Pus community after soldiers installed bulldozers

Civil society groups have planted trees at the Udom Sre Pus and Prey Metta Natural communities in Trapeang Chor commune, Oral district, Kampong Speu, after the army troops installed bulldozers almost completely. ...

Khut Sokun
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/09/05/civil-society-planted-more-1000-saplings-udom-sre-pus-community-soldiers-installed/

Preah Vihear’s indigenous patrollers red flag Preah Roka logging

Indigenous community patrollers found around 250 cases of suspected deforestation at Preah Vihear’s Prey Preah Roka forest during two patrols in July and August, and are urging authorities to allow more patrols into the forest. ...

Meng Kroypunlok
https://vodenglish.news/preah-vihears-indigenous-patrollers-red-flag-preah-roka-logging/

Task Force is investigating a military police officer in the case of logging around Prey Lang

A senior military official claims that they are investigating the Deputy Director of the Office of Military Police Defamation who cut down the trees and buy timbers in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. ...

Khan Leakhena
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/09/02/task-force-is-investigating-a-military-police-officer-in-the-case-of-logging-around-prey-lang/

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbons see tourist upswing

Endangered species conservation scientists from the NGO Conservation International (CI) have announced the resumption of their mission in the Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park in Ratanakkiri and Stung Treng provinces after having made a series of discoveries since 2007 of nearly 400 groups of yellow-cheeked ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/yellow-cheeked-crested-gibbons-see-tourist-upswing

Rangers take on 4,250 crimes since January

Since 2017, the Kingdom’s park rangers have intervened in over 8,000 forestry and wildlife crimes a year, with more than 800 cases referred to courts. ...

Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rangers-take-4250-crimes-january

Red muntjac population surveyed in Mondulkiri

Researchers from the Mondulkiri provincial Department of Environment have deployed motion-sensor cameras at 25 sites in Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary to monitor the number of red muntjac, amid concerns that its population may be declining due to illegal hunting and trapping. ...

Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/red-muntjac-population-surveyed-mondulkiri

Cambodia’s forests cover 8.5 million hectares

Forest coverage in Cambodia accounts for 46.86 percent or approximately 8.5 million hectares of the country’s land area, Ministry of Environment’s report showed. ...

Khmer Times Staff
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501142217/cambodias-forests-cover-8-5-million-hectares/

Ratanakiri land dispute escalates amid indigenous frustration

Nine Tampoun villagers are facing an imminent court verdict over allegedly stealing wood from a Chinese concessionaire with which Ratanakiri communities have been locked in an escalating dispute. ...

Phin Rathana
https://vodenglish.news/ratanakiri-land-dispute-escalates-amid-indigenous-frustration/

Ratanakiri Land Dispute Escalates Amid Indigenous Frustration

Nine Tampoun villagers are facing an imminent court verdict over allegedly stealing wood from a Chinese concessionaire with which Ratanakiri communities have been locked in an escalating dispute. ...

Phin Rathana
https://vodenglish.news/ratanakiri-land-dispute-escalates-amid-indigenous-frustration/

Ministry issues uniforms for community forest patrols

Members of local communities assisting park rangers in patrolling and protecting natural resources and protected areas have been issued community uniforms by the Ministry of Environment to make these people easily identifiable. ...

Torn Vibol
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501138956/ministry-issues-uniforms-for-community-forest-patrols/

Preah Vihear provincial administration seeks land settlement for 131 families after dispute with private company

Preah Vihear provincial administration met with four villagers representing 131 families on Monday to seek a land settlement after a dispute with an economic land concession company there. ...

Khut Sokun
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/08/22/preah-vihear-authority-seeks-land-settlement-for-131-families/

Preah Vihear journalist assaulted by military commander

 A journalist in Preah Vihear province says he was beaten up by an army commander after he accidentally witnessed what he suspected to be the illegal transportation of timber. ...

Seoung Nimol and Try Thaney
https://cambojanews.com/preah-vihear-journalist-assaulted-by-military-commander/

Conservation draft laws go under review by ministry’s working group

Minister of Justice Koeut Rith has set up a working group to review and advise on the penalty provisions of the draft laws on fisheries, forestry and protected natural areas before submitting them to the Council of Ministers for approval. ...

Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/conservation-draft-laws-go-under-review-ministrys-working-group

Hundreds from bodyguard unit take over Phnom Tamao reforestation efforts

The military personnel — primarily in charge of protecting the Cambodian prime minister — were seen to be managing the outflow of trees being transported by workers but also blocking access to the cleared forest. They detained five VOD journalists and four activists in the ...

Keat Soriththeavy, Danielle Keeton-Olsen and Pa Sokheng
https://vodenglish.news/hundreds-from-bodyguard-unit-take-over-phnom-tamao-reforestation-efforts/

Draft royal decree to preserve Phnom Tamao reaches PM

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon confirmed that a draft royal decree to preserve Phnom Tamao area had been sent to Prime Minister Hun Sen for a review. The draft came on the heels of the premier’s order late August 16. ...

Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/draft-royal-decree-preserve-phnom-tamao-reaches-pm

From loggers to farmers, Mondulkiri’s communities turned away from forests

Since an irrigation system was set up in his remote Mondulkiri village four years ago, Morn Samean saw his farming yields increase, reinforcing his impression that he made the right choice when he let go of his former activity, logging. ...

Teng Yalirozy
https://cambodianess.com/article/from-loggers-to-farmers-mondulkiris-communities-turned-away-from-forests

Fear, frustration for community stuck in protected-zone confusion

Bunong community leader Miv Khem, 29, who like his neighbors in Memang commune relies on subsistence rice farming, dates the start of the dispute to 2017, when management of both the Keo Seima and Phnom Prich wildlife sanctuaries were transferred to the Environment Ministry. Protected ...

Fiona Kelliher and Phin Rathana
https://vodenglish.news/fear-frustration-for-community-stuck-in-protected-zone-confusion/

More than 100,000 trees planted to restore Banteay Srei and Phnom Kulen forests

Workers planted more than 100,000 trees have been planted on more than 800 hectares of forest lands in Banteay Srei district and Phnom Kulen as part of the forest restoration. ...

Khmer Times Staff
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501132119/more-than-100000-trees-planted-to-restore-banteay-srei-and-phnom-kulen-forests/

Cambodian government cancels development of Phnom Tamao forest amid outcry

Prime Minister Hun Sen has stepped in to cancel all development projects slated for the Phnom Tamao forest, near the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, following months of public condemnation ...

Gerald Flynn and Vutha Srey
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/cambodian-government-cancels-development-of-phnom-tamao-forest-amid-outcry/

At least 10 years to repair one week of Phnom Tamao damage

Hundreds of thousands of dollars will be spent replanting the Phnom Tamao forest that was destroyed over the past week. ...

Keat Soriththeavy
https://vodenglish.news/at-least-10-years-to-repair-one-week-of-phnom-tamao-damage/

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