Environment and natural resources
Water resources
Government to probe Preah Sihanouk coastal development
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. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/government-probe-preah-sihanouk-coastal-development
The Ministry of Environment calls out encroaching
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 ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-environment-calls-out-encroaching
Interior Minister says Preah Sihanouk boom could hit sea’s health
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 ...
Soth Koemsoeun
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/interior-minister-says-preah-sihanouk-boom-could-hit-seas-health
NGOs to boycott MRC meet
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 ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ngos-boycott-mrc-meet
Kandal lakes deemed to be property of state
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 ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kandal-lakes-deemed-be-property-state
Riverbank collapses in capital
Fifty metres of riverbank in Chroy Changvar district collapsed on Saturday amid rising water levels in the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers which have caused the capital’s riverside regions to flood. According to Klang Huot, the district governor, traffic has been impacted by the collapse ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/riverbank-collapses-capital
Community, monks rally for water canal
More than 200 community members, local officers and monks demonstrated for the construction of a water canal to facilitate transportation, patrols and promote tourism at a bird sanctuary in Siem Reap town’s Chreav commune on Saturday. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/community-monks-rally-water-canal
PM denies development plans for lake in Ratanakkiri
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday denied that the government intends to allow private development around a lake in Ratanakkiri province, which is important to a biologically diverse ecosystem. The denial was sparked by an article published in the Rasmei Kampuchea Daily on Monday that ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-denies-development-plans-lake-ratanakkiri
Senior cop warned on building canal
The Takeo provincial Environment Department on Monday warned authorites would take legal action against a senior police official in Koh Andet district who tried to use a vehicle to clear land illegally in the protected lake Boeung Prek Lapouv. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/senior-cop-warned-building-canal
Asean states seek to protect regional oceans
A project involving several Asean member countries was launched during high-level talks in Indonesia yesterday with the aim of increasing marine environmental protection in Southeast Asia. ...
Chea Vannak
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50505751/asean-states-seek-to-protect-regional-oceans/
Wetlands clearance stopped
Sa’ang and Kien Svay district authorities in Kandal province stopped a military official from clearing an area of wetland, creating a canal that was siphoning water from a larger canal that served farmers in the area and filling in other canals, seizing a bulldozer in ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/wetlands-clearance-stopped
Project to boost conservation
The Mekong River Commission and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have launched a joint study on forest conservation and river basin management in the lower Mekong aimed at improving management and environmental conservation of the area. ...
Chea Vannak
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50504867/project-to-boost-conservation/
Lao dam under review
Laos has begun formal consultation on the Pak Lay hydropower dam project in its northern province of Xayaburi amid environmental concerns that it will impact the Cambodian stretch of the Mekong River. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50501835/lao-dam-under-review/
Study of Ground Water Resources in Kampong Speu
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, Kingdom of Cambodia and WAPCOS Limited, a Government of India enterprise jointly organized a workshop for the project “Study of Groundwater Resources of Kong Pisei and Basedth District of Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia on 7th June, 2018″ at ...
Khmer Times
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50499426/study-of-ground-water-resources-in-kampong-speu/
Kratie officials find brewery ‘linked’ to poisoning deaths
Local authorities in Kratie province believe they have identified the source of the deadly rice wine, made with lethal levels of methanol that killed 14 people. The discovery was made after investigations traced the incident to the owner of a brewery who died after drinking ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kratie-officials-find-brewery-linked-poisoning-deaths
Koh Kong villagers to be given UDG land
The government has ordered the Ministry of Environment to work with the relevant authorities to grant Koh Kong province villagers land from Union Development Group (UDG), a Chinese company, following a long-standing dispute. ...
Mech Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/koh-kong-villagers-be-given-udg-land
Cyanide ‘found in samples’
A senior official at the Ministry of Environment said on Thursday analysis of blood samples from victims of Kratie province’s contaminated water incident earlier this month have confirmed the presence of cyanide, albeit at very low levels. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cyanide-found-samples
Villagers’ deaths prompt mines meeting
Mines Minister Suy Sem yesterday ordered mining operators to follow the law to prevent mining waste from polluting rivers in the wake of more than 10 villagers dying from consuming tainted water in Kratie province. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50492837/villagers-deaths-prompt-mines-meeting/
Villagers not poisoned by cyanide: Mines Minister
Mines Minister Suy Sem has dismissed a claim by Industry Minister Cham Prasidh, who said that villagers in Kratie province were poisoned and killed by cyanide-tainted water due to run-off from gold mines. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50492555/villagers-not-poisoned-by-cyanide-mines-minister/
Villagers in Kratie province were poisoned by mining: Industry Minister
Industry Minister Cham Prasidh has said that villagers in Kratie province’s Chetr Borei district were poisoned after consuming water tainted with cyanide which was used for mining operations in Mondolkiri and Kratie province. ...
Gold mine waste blamed for deadly poisoning in Cambodia
Experts from the ministry examined the water in the river of Prek Te in Kratie and found chromium and cyanide. The substances were found at various mining sites between Kratie and neighboring Mondulkiri and the ministry believed that they were improperly handled and that rain ...
Radio Free Asia staff
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/water-toxic-05172018161901.html
Prime Minister: Take back islands from inactive developers
The government will “take back” land on roughly 30 islands from private companies that have not made progress on planned developments, Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a speech on Monday that also targeted land-grabbing villagers and idle provincial governors. ...
Phak Seangly and Daphne Chen
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/prime-minister-take-back-islands-inactive-developers
New marine protected area designated off Kep
A new marine protected area has been established off the coast of Kep province to protect biodiversity and prevent illegal fishing, officials said on Sunday. A directive by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries officially established the marine fisheries management area, which spans more ...
Yesenia Amaro
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-marine-protected-area-designated-kep
Code of conduct for the Mekong
The sustainable development of water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin is at a crucial stage and as member countries of the Mekong River Commission meet this week in Siem Reap, Chheang Vannarith argues that a code of conduct is now vital to ...
Chheang Vannarith
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50298648/code-of-conduct-for-the-mekong/