Environment and natural resources
Forests and forestry
Koh Kong residents ask government to expedite land settlement as authorities accuse them of entering the protected land
Residents in Botum Sakor district, Koh Kong province, ask the government to intervene with the authorities to expedite the resolution of land disputes as soon as possible and transparently as the authorities accused them of illegally entering the Botum Sakor National Park. ...
Nat Sopheap
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/10/18/koh-kong-residents-ask-government-to-expedite-land-settlement/
Forestry administration crackdown on timber traffickers
In Preah Vihear, forestry administration officers seized a car filled with illegal timber which evaded officers in another province. ...
Khmer Times Staff
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501168934/forestry-administration-crackdown-on-timber-traffickers/
Campaign aims to safeguard the rainforest
To mark International Day for Disaster Reduction, a group of people are launching a campaign aiming to encourage everyone in the Mekong region and beyond to safeguard the rainforest. ...
Mao Sreypich
https://kiripost.com/stories/campaign-aims-to-safeguard-the-rainforest
Conservation team detects 97 bird species in Cardamoms
A biodiversity research team from Conservation International (CI) Cambodia, in collaboration with Ministry of Environment specialists, is identifying bird calls recorded in the field by analysing the data collected from nearly 100 bird species. ...
Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/conservation-team-detects-97-bird-species-cardamoms
Rangers crack down on 4,250 forestry crimes in eight months
Park rangers have cracked down on 4,250 cases, including land encroachments, in the first eight months of the year across the nation, according to officials. ...
Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501165926/rangers-crack-down-on-4250-forestry-crimes-in-eight-months/
Prey Lang community forest patrols persist despite being blocked, held, questioned
Twenty activists surveyed the Prey Lang forest for four days last week despite a recent wave of suppression against environmentalists, who have continued their work in defiance of a ban against community patrols. ...
Keat Soriththeavy
https://vodenglish.news/prey-lang-community-forest-patrols-persist-despite-being-blocked-held-questioned/
307 small nature tourism projects approved in September
The Ministry of Environment as of September 2022 has approved 307 small-scale ecotourism development projects covering 2,670 hectares in the Natural Resource Protection and Cambodia Biodiversity Conservation Corridor. ...
Sok Sithika
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501161817/307-small-nature-tourism-projects-approved-in-september/
Preah Vihear provincial environmental official accused of preventing natural resource lovers from entering Preah Rokar forest
More than 20 natural resource lovers say that Preah Vihear provincial environmental officials have prevented them from entering the “Prey Preah Rokar” area in Promeru commune as forest crime in the area continues. ...
Environmental activists march to the Ministry of Environment to demand an end forest patrols restrictions
A group of 30 environmental activists dressed in white marched to the Ministry of Environment to petition for an end to restrictions on civil liberties in forest protection activities in Cambodia. ...
Khan Leakhena
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/09/29/updated-youths-march-to-the-moe-to-demand-an-end-to-forest-patrol-restrictions/
Global initiative against transnational crime releases a report on illegal logging structures in Cambodia
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime in September released its new research’s results on the illegal logging structure in Cambodia. ...
Metta forest’s Buddhist statues destroyed in wind
The Metta forest community in Kampong Speu says three Buddha statues around the forest’s pagoda have been destroyed after wind blew down nearby trees, and residents are blaming loggers who they say are continuing to cut down the surrounding forest. ...
Meng Kroypunlok
https://vodenglish.news/metta-forests-buddhist-statues-destroyed-in-wind/
Communities ask government to enforce protection of Preah Rokar Wildlife Sanctuary as timber exports continue
Kuy community in Promeru commune, Tbeng Meanchey district, Preah Vihear province, has again requested the government, especially local authorities and relevant ministries to enforce forest protection at Preah Rokar Wildlife Sanctuary as they claim that the illegal transportation of timber from the forest continues to ...
Meng Kroypunlok
https://www.vodkhmer.news/2022/09/26/communities-ask-govt-to-increase-protection-of-preah-rokar-wildlife-sanctuary/
Ministry plants 17K saplings in M’kiri natural protected area
The Ministry of Environment is planting 17,000 acacia and other kinds of saplings on a 6.5ha area in the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province to improve forest cover. ...
Ry Sochan
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-plants-17k-saplings-mkiri-natural-protected-area
Mondulkiri officials probe Bunong logging allegations
Mondulkiri provincial environment officials are working to identify loggers who a Bunong indigenous community accused of clearing nearly 100ha of community forest in Koh Nhek district’s Rayum commune. ...
Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/mondulkiri-officials-probe-bunong-logging-allegations
Gov’t says wood from Tamao clearing given to locals, not sold
About 530 hectares of land in Tamao Sanctuary in Takeo province’s Bati district was cleared by a developer last month and the public has accused the government of selling the felled trees for profit, a claim authorities vehemently rejects. ...
Chhun Sunly
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501153040/govt-says-wood-from-tamao-clearing-given-to-locals-not-sold/
Mondulkiri indigenous request authorities to stop encroachment of forest land at Phnom Prech wildlife sanctuary
Representatives of indigenous communities in Mondulkiri province request the Ministry of Environment and relevant institutions to investigate and prevent illegal forest land expansion at “Phnom Prech Wildlife Sanctuary” from an unidentified group and punish them according to the law. ...
NGO urges law amendments to provide for indigenous people
The draft amendment of the Law on Protected Areas and the Forestry Law should provide indigenous communities with traditional right to livelihood and beliefs, protection and management of natural resources, a non-government organisation said at a press conference yesterday. ...
Tith Kongnov
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501147611/ngo-urges-law-amendments-to-provide-for-indigenous-people/
Wife mourns Ratanakiri environmentalist’s imprisonment
Chhorn Phalla became one of Cambodia’s prominent forest defenders, fronting a press conference two years ago about local authorities’ alleged complicity in illegal deforestation, violence against him at a public forum, and having a shelter burned down on his plantation. ...
Meng Kroypunlok
https://vodenglish.news/wife-mourns-ratanakiri-environmentalists-imprisonment/
Indigenous Kuoy call for Preah Roka forest crime investigation
The Kuoy indigenous community in Preah Vihear province has called for relevant institutions to investigate the true scale of forest crimes in the Preah Roka Wildlife Sanctuary after finding 249 cases in August. ...
Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/indigenous-kuoy-call-preah-roka-forest-crime-investigation
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. ...
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/