What lies beneath: The fight to save Phnom Kulen
Illegal logging and destructive farming practices have archaeologists racing to rescue an ecologically crucial mountain and its hidden temples. … Some 80 per cent of the forest on Phnom Kulen – one of Cambodia’s National Parks – has disappeared due to a combination of illegal logging, destructive farming practices like slash and burn, and a growing trend towards cashew nut cultivation. … There are some parts of Phnom Kulen that have been made community protection areas under the Ministry of Environment, but encroachment has continued. … Most of the land the farmers used for rice cultivation with slash and burn is now covered by cashew trees, and if they want to do rice, they have to move deeper into the forest. … As with most things in Cambodia, Phnom Kulen suffers from sprawling bureaucracy – the Ministry of Environment, the Aspara Authority and the concession holders to the waterfall tourist site all have stakes in the mountain – and a lack of resources. …
Poppy McPherson and Vandy Muong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/what-lies-beneath-fight-save-phnom-kulen
