News
Ministry breaks ground on first of five regional tree nurseries
The Ministry of Environment is conducting a study on Cambodia’s current forest canopy to facilitate successful tree planting and expansion, aiming to increase the country’s green cover to 60 per cent over the next 25 years. ...
Phak Seangly
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-breaks-ground-on-first-of-five-regional-tree-nurseries
Govt refutes ODC claim of major deforestation
The Ministry of Environment has dismissed the claim that forest cover has decreased from 43.21% in 2015 to 39.75% in 2023, as reported by Open Development Cambodia (ODC) on September 1. ...
Buth Reaskmey Kongkea
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501551986/govt-refutes-ocd-claim-of-major-deforestation/
ODC: Cambodia's forest cover to fall below 40% by 2023
Open Development Cambodia on September 1, 2024 released a report on forest cover in Cambodia from 2015 to 2023. In this report, ODC claims that forest cover in Cambodia will fall below 40% by 2023. ...
Luck Chandara
https://shorturl.at/K2Tgo
Deforestation crackdown in Pursat yields large seizures
Eight people have been reprimanded and one suspect has been sent to court during the beginning of a 30-day campaign against state land occupation and deforestation in Pursat province. ...
Niem Chheng
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/deforestation-crackdown-in-pursat-yields-large-seizures
Royal gendarmerie arrests 11 Pursat residents in wildlife crime crackdown
Cambodia’s Royal Gendarmerie arrested 11 Pursat province residents Tuesday after the military force deployed nearly 300 of its officers to crack down on natural resource crimes. ...
Eung Sea
https://cambojanews.com/royal-gendarmerie-arrests-11-pursat-residents-in-wildlife-crime-crackdown/
Village ends logging, plants crops
In Trapaing Chor commune’s Sre Kin village, located in Kampong Speu province’s Oral district, certain community members have transitioned away from forest-related activities such as logging and wildlife hunting. Instead, they have embraced a new approach by forming a rotating cropping community. ...
Kim Sarom
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/village-ends-logging-plants-crops
Ranger Station set ablaze by local villagers
In an unusual turn of events, over 350 people in the village and commune of Sre Chis in O’Krieng Senchey district, Kratie province, have damaged a ranger station. The incident occurred on August 5, with no casualties reported. ...
Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ranger-station-set-ablaze-local-villagers
PM orders immediate crackdowns on land grabs and illegal logging
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ordered the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture and provincial officials to stamp out illegal land encroachment and illegal logging in the country. ...
Crack down on land opportunists: PM
Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered that the pertinent ministries and local authorities take action to prevent forest encroachment and land grabs, saying that these activities always increased during the campaign period and the day of elections. ...
Kim Yutharo
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/crack-down-land-opportunists-pm
Youths and communities report deforestation in Oral Mountains Wildlife Sanctuary
Phnom Khnong Veal youth and community groups claim that forest crime continues to be a cause for concern in Oral Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, especially large forests along the road up to Phnom Khnong Veal in the village Sastra, Ta Sal commune, Oral district, Kampong Speu ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.postkhmer.com/national/2023-05-01-1829-249582.html
12 people and 10 of cubic meters of wood were arrested in provinces around Prey Lang
National Commission for the Prevention and Suppression of Natural Resources on the 27 April 2023 announced the results of the operation to crack down on natural resource offenses in Prey Lang area. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.postkhmer.com/national/2023-04-27-1905-249459.html
Baitong Warriors: about 700 hectares of forest land in the Oral Mountains Wildlife Sanctuary has been cleared
Forest land in Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary in Trapeang Chor commune, Oral district, Kampong Speu province was looted by criminals. Hundreds of hectares of land were illegally demolished and cleared. This is according to the Baitong Warriors. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.postkhmer.com/national/2023-04-05-1802-248817.html
Agri-ministry logs over 800 cases of land encroachment
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recorded 841 instances of encroachment on protected land in 2022, imposing fines in 250 cases and sending 591 of them to court, according to its report. ...
Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/agri-ministry-logs-over-800-cases-land-encroachment
Oreang district administration is continuing to find the perpetrators that cleared more than 50 hectares of state forest
Experts are continuing to search for the identity of the perpetrators that cleared forest land in the protected area in Mondulkiri province to file the case to the court. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
https://www.postkhmer.com/national/2023-03-21-0838-248224.html
Pounong indigenous people in Mondulkiri province complain to local authorities for failing to prevent forest crimes
Four forestry community representatives in Mondulkiri province have filed a complaint with local authorities against the provincial prosecutor’s office, accusing them of failing to prevent forest crime in a timely manner. ...
People say that the historical and tourist area in Angkor Borei district may loss
Residents say that historical and tourist sites may be lost after a large-scale looting of Phnom Borei, while Angkor Borei district authorities have denied that the authorities have opened their hands to excavating Phnom Borei and sell it to private dealers as mentioned by citizens. ...
Kheang Sokmean
https://khmer.cambojanews.com/some-people-say-that-historical-and-tourist-area-may-face-loss-after-the-phnom-borey-quarry/
For arrested activists, thumbprints on police contracts are often the cost of freedom
In mid-August, Chhoeun Daravy and eight others found themselves negotiating with police over the wording of a handwritten contract. Officers initially wanted the agreement to say that the nine had “illegally” entered a “prohibited area” in the recently logged Phnom Tamao forest and flew a ...
Ngay Nai and Matt Surrusco
https://cambojanews.com/for-arrested-activists-thumbprints-on-police-contracts-are-often-the-cost-of-freedom/
Environment ministry warns public to beware of fraudulent brokers selling protected land
The Ministry of Environment has warned the public about scammers who were deceiving people by claiming they legally owned land in protected areas and providing them with fake ownership deeds in bogus land sales when it isn’t possible for anyone to privately own protected land. ...
Orm Bunthoeurn
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/environment-ministry-warns-public-beware-fraudulent-brokers-selling-protected-land
People in Teuk Chhou district, Kampot province vow to protect Phnom Toteung community forest for the fear of lost forest
This is what the people of Kampong Chen village, Steung Keo commune, Teuk Chhou district, Kampot province said, Phnom Toteung Community Forest is not only a sanctuary for the people who live in the vicinity of this community forest, they can also enjoy non-timber forest ...
Mondulkiri Srepok wildlife sanctuary chief fired after alleged abuse of locals
The Environment Ministry has ordered provincial officials to fire the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary chief in Mondulkiri province over alleged abuses of power, including threatening local people who were collecting firewood. ...
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/
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
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. ...