Environment and natural resources
Water resources
Phnom Penh Lakes ‘on the Brink of Elimination’: Report
Every lake in Phnom Penh has been damaged by development and its wetlands decimated, leading to severe flooding, loss of livelihoods and disappearance of fish species, a new report says. ...
Khut Sokun and Newsroom Cambodia
https://vodenglish.news/phnom-penh-lakes-on-the-brink-of-elimination-report/
Mekong levels to drop as China conducts equipment tests
The Mekong River Commission on Tuesday reported dam equipment tests in China will affect water levels in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos in the middle of this month. In a press release obtained yesterday, the MRC said the tests are being conducted in China’s Jinghong hydropower station ...
Mom Kunthear
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50675730/mekong-levels-to-drop-as-china-conducts-equipment-tests
Restoration of irrigation systems set to begin in four provinces
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, through the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-financed Climate Friendly Agri-Business Value Chains (CFAVC) Sector Project, will begin restoring 32 irrigation systems and dig 800 ponds in Takeo, Kampong Cham, Kampot and Tbong Khmum provinces. ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/restoration-irrigation-systems-set-begin-four-provinces
Hun Sen wants pristine coastal areas preserved
Prime Minister Hun Sen has instructed the governors of the coastal provinces to protect and maintain the beauty of the coasts, prevent wastewater from flowing into the sea and continue to develop the necessary infrastructure for tourism. ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50672722/hun-sen-wants-pristine-coastal-areas-preserved
PM orders probe on two-star general in Koh Kong
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday ordered a high-ranking government official and local authorities to investigate land reclamation allegedly implicating an army officer in Koh Kong province. ...
Sun Mesa
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50672752/pm-orders-probe-on-two-star-general-in-koh-kong
Ministries, institutions discuss measures for Mekong conservation
Members of relevant ministries and institutions gathered on Friday and Saturday to discuss the importance of the Mekong to Cambodia from a policy standpoint and how the government can best work together to ensure the conservation of the river. The two-day meeting, held under the ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministries-institutions-discuss-measures-mekong-conservation
Officials to meet on Mekong crisis as fishing communities suffer
On Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, record low water levels have plunged fishing communities into crisis but with warnings of “severe drought”, there are concerns the situation will get even worse. ...
Leonie Kijewski
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/officials-meet-mekong-crisis-fishing-communities-suffer-191125070104119.html
Authorities fix breached dam
Battambang provincial authorities and residents are fixing a partly broken dam in Svay Cheat village, in Sangke district’s Raing Kesei commune, after farmers breached it to irrigate their paddy fields. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/authorities-fix-breached-dam
Kampong Cham riverbank collapse affects commune administration hall
Around 50 metres of riverbank on Saturday collapsed in Kampong Cham province’s Kampong Cham city and has affected a commune administration hall building. Provincial Governor Un Chanda, who inspected the collapse site in Veal Vong commune, on Saturday said he had ordered officials to tackle ...
Conserve water in reservoirs: Prime Minister
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday urged authorities and people to conserve water for cultivation and daily consumption as dry season sets in. ...
Mom Kunthear
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50660038/conserve-water-in-reservoirs-prime-minister/
Senior official accused of land grab
A member of the Supreme Consultation Forum is set to forward to Prime Minister Hun Sen, the complaints of more than 1,000 families against a military lieutenant general over alleged land grabbing in Kampong Thom province’s Stoung district. ...
Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/senior-official-accused-land-grab
Landowner told structures encroach on heritage land
The Apsara Authority has told Yun Sokhorn to remove a wall and a rest house from the southern part of Trapaing Hephka irrigation dike in Bos Kralanh village, Chriev commune, Siem Reap province because the structures had encroached on land designated as a national heritage. ...
Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/landowner-told-structures-encroach-heritage-land
PM calls for greater efforts to tackle global water issue
Speaking at the third Budapest Water Summit in Budapest, Hungary, Prime Minister Hun Sen said water security would be under threat due to poor management of water resources and chemical waste, global warming, and population growth. “Climate change, forest logging, insufficient public investment, lack of ...
Mech Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-calls-greater-efforts-tackle-global-water-issue
Sihanoukville aims to reform tourism landscape
Preah Sihanouk province plans to attract a new type of Chinese investor which could restore the image of Sihanoukville as a tourist city and shift investment away from casinos. In a meeting with Chinese embassy officials in August, provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun said the current ...
Hin Pisei
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/sihanoukville-aims-reform-tourism-landscape
Cambodia's lifeline threatened as Mekong recedes to historic low
As world leaders meet in New York from Monday to discuss the global challenge of climate change, thousands of kilometres away people in Cambodia are grappling with dramatic changes to the country’s ecosystem, including the lowest water levels in the crucially-important Mekong River ever recorded. The United Nations ...
Andrew Nachemson
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/cambodia-lifeline-threatened-mekong-recedes-historic-190920072518567.html
Kampot mangroves ‘cleared in land grab’
The Changhaon village community claims that many hectares of mangrove forest in the coastal area in a village in Teuk Chhou district’s Prek Tnort commune, in Kampot province, were being cut down to grab land for private ownership. ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kampot-mangroves-cleared-land-grab
Rice Natural Development announce $50M tourism hub
Local company Rice Natural Development Plc announced a $50 million joint venture with British and Singaporean investors on Tuesday to develop a coastal tourism hub in Preah Sihanouk province. The project, which will be built on 1.8ha, will include a tourist port comprised of 10 ...
Hin Pisei
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-natural-development-announce-50m-tourism-hub
Calls for unblocking of canals in P Sihanouk
Preah Sihanouk provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun called for those who filled in and constructed buildings over canals to remove anything blocking the vital drainage systems as flooding continues to impact the province. ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/calls-unblocking-canals-preah-sihanouk
Rubbish Youths collect 10K cigarette butts at Sihanoukville beach
The “Rubbish Youths” have picked up nearly 10,000 cigarette butts from Sihanoukville’s Ochheuteal Beach over the past two weekends, after launching a campaign to collect one million butts from Cambodia’s coastal areas to keep the beaches clean. ...
Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rubbish-youths-collect-10k-cigarette-butts-sihanoukville-beach
Koh Kong authorities order halt to filling-in of sanctuary’s canals
The Koh Kong provincial authority on Monday ordered the temporary halt to the filling-in of canals at the Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary in Khemarak Phoumin City’s Smach Meanchey commune while an environmental impact assessment is being conducted. ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/koh-kong-authorities-order-halt-filling-sanctuarys-canals
Mekong river countries urged to reconsider hydropower dams
Activists representing Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam yesterday urged their respective governments to consider the lives of people living around the Mekong River when building infrastructure projects. Some of the activists urged governments to increase impact assessment initiatives, while others called for the suspension of all ongoing ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50628833/mekong-river-countries-urged-to-reconsider-hydropower-dams/
Journalists invited to tour Ream Naval Base
The Ministry of National Defence on Friday invited some 70 national and international journalists to inspect the Ream Naval Base following reports last week of a deal with China to use the facility. The story was immediately dismissed by Prime Minister Hun Sen as “fabricated ...
Mech Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/journalists-invited-tour-ream-naval-base
Activists launch ‘Rescue Island’ campaign for Koh Kong Krao
Environmental activists have launched the “Rescue Island” campaign to urge the government to preserve Koh Kong province’s Koh Kong Krao island, Cambodia’s largest, as a national park. They are concerned that development could destroy forever the natural beauty of the 103sq km island. ...
Khorn Savi
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/activists-launch-rescue-island-campaign-koh-kong-krao
Gov’t releases sub-decree on Bokor town development
The government has decided to develop Bokor National Park into a futuristic and historic tourism city, a sub-decree on the introduction of the master plan for Bokor town’s development said. The area will be connected to the Kingdom’s southern coastal tourism corridor. ...
Thou Vireak
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/govt-releases-sub-decree-bokor-town-development