Ministries and other national bodies
Ministry of Environment
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)។ ...
Cambodian PM flies to Vietnam for Mekong River Commission Summit
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen flew Friday to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to attend the second Summit of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), which will be held on Saturday. The premier was accompanied by Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology Lim Kean Hor, Environment Minister ...
Xinhuanet News Staff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-04/04/c_133238058.htm
Ethnic group petitions UN to halt Areng dam
The Areng Chorng ethnic minority group yesterday submitted five petitions – addressed to the UN office in Cambodia and four government institutions – seeking a halt to the Sinohydro dam project in Koh Kong province. After blocking Sinohydro from entering the dam site in the Areng ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ethnic-group-petitions-un-halt-areng-dam
Eco groups slam Areng dam
Two major conservation groups yesterday said that the proposed Stung Cheay Areng dam in Koh Kong province should be scrapped, while protesters who have blocked developer Sinohydro Group from entering the site for several days headed to Phnom Penh to voice their concerns and discontent. Conservation ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/eco-groups-slam-areng-dam
Factory waste blamed for health, crop woes
Forty families in Kampong Chhnang province’s Peani commune complained yesterday that a local factory has been polluting their land with toxic liquid waste. Kong Yom, 40, a representative of the 40 families in Krang Ta Ekh village, said yesterday that this is not the first time ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/factory-waste-blamed-health-crop-woes
Friends in high places
A Chinese developer with a “family-like” relationship to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit has accelerated construction at its $5 billion resort – ostensibly cancelled by royal decree in 2010 – in a protected national park in Preah Sihanouk province. The 3,300-hectare Golden Silver Gulf resort ...
Daniel Pye and May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/friends-high-places
Neighbours wary of Laos dam plan
In its race to cash in on hydropower without first addressing its downstream implications, Laos could pitch the region into a water crisis and jeopardise millions of Cambodian’s food security, conservation groups and Cambodian government officials said yesterday. “Lao PDR is exploiting the Mekong River to ...
Laignee Barron and Shane Worrell
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/neighbours-wary-laos-dam-plan
Power couple linked to Sinohydro project
Two of the country’s most powerful and politically connected business owners are on the board of governors of the company thought to have brokered a controversial deal between the world’s largest hydropower developer and the Cambodian government, documents obtained by the Post show. Cambodian People’s Party ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/power-couple-linked-sinohydro-project
Minister calls for construction of plastic recycle plants in Bavet, Sihanoukville
Say Sam Al, Minister of Environment, on Thursday called for construction of plastic recycle plants in Bavet and Sihanoukville. Speaking at the meeting, the minister said that in the last 20 years Ministry of Environment as well as Cambodian government didn’t allow trash recycle in ...
The Cambodia Herlad
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=NzAwNDJmMjdmZTN