Air Pollution—The Latest Threat to Angkor Park
Air pollution from vehicles and electric generators inside the Angkor Archeological Park and in Siem Reap City is soiling and darkening the monuments at the World Heritage Site, an official at the Apsara Authority, which is responsible for the park, said Friday. … Options to decrease the pollution from the hundreds of tour buses and tuk-tuks that ferry visitors around the park each day, as well as generators used by hotels in the country’s premier tourist town, will be discussed and addressed over the next decade, said Im Sokrithy, communications officer for the Apsara Authority. … “The air pollution is on a high level. Compared to Japan, it is really high,” [Apsara Authority communications officer] Mr. [Im] Sokrithy said, adding that the Apsara Authority had heard evidence from a Japanese researcher working with Unesco that air pollution in Siem Reap is extremely high. On Thursday, representatives of more than 30 countries and international organizations met in Siem Reap to attend the 3rd Intergovernmental Conference on Angkor, where a new management plan for the park was unveiled. … A ban on tour buses entering Angkor is possible in the future, as well as alternatives, including switching to electric cars. French firm Bollore submitted a proposal on Thursday introducing the so-called “Bluecar,” an electric car with three doors that is being used in car-sharing services in Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon. …
Denise Hruby
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/air-pollution-the-latest-threat-to-angkor-park-48814/
