Environment and natural resources
Authorities ordered to enforce forestry laws
Despite numerous laws and committees created to tackle deforestation and illegal logging in Cambodia, the timber trade has continued unabated. In another attempt to deal with the issue, authorities across the country have been ordered to ensure they execute their responsibilities to oversee the enforcement of ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30209/authorities-ordered-to-enforce-forestry-laws/
Gov’t studies new tree species
The Ministry of Environment signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) yesterday with two Chinese companies to study planting “Paulownia-Guotong” – an extremely fast-growing tree used to make furniture and wooden equipment – and practice growing it in Cambodia. Speaking at a workshop on a feasibility ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30205/gov---t-studies-new-tree-species/
Sambo hydro dam info urged
Youth groups and environmental activists have requested the government release the latest documents concerning the proposed Sambo hydroelectric dam in Kratie province, amid lingering concerns of the possible environmental damage the dam may cause. The dam, if constructed, will be the largest in the country and ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30164/sambo-hydro-dam-info-urged/
Ven Vorn loses appeal
Environmental campaigner and Areng Valley community leader Ven Vorn lost his appeal against his one-year suspended sentence for “collecting forest products without permission” yesterday at the Appeals Court. Judge Kim Danny did not give reasons why the court decided to uphold the March ruling of the ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30048/ven-vorn-loses-appeal/
How politics is killing Cambodia's forests
Cambodian forests, some of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, are vanishing fast as a result of the Vietnamese, Chinese and Cambodian political interests. Cambodia has one of the largest deforestation rates in the world. Forest Trends, an influential organization with a mission to conserve ...
Abu SMG Kibria
http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/how-politics-is-killing-cambodias-forests/
City aims to address market's trash problem
City Hall yesterday held a meeting with trash-collection companies and district authorities to address the longstanding garbage problem at the capital’s Phsar Doeum Kor Market in Tuol Kork district. ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/city-aims-address-markets-trash-problem
Police chief admits wife is timber smuggler
A Toyota SUV and the load of illegally logged luxury wood found inside it on Monday belong to the wife of a district police chief in Tbong Khmum province, according to local officials, who say they have no intention of taking action against the couple. “We ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/police-chief-admits-wife-timber-smuggler-118251/
Who owns the 2,949 logs found by a government task force?
The government’s anti-logging task force on Monday confiscated nearly 3,000 logs stashed in a forest clearing in Mondolkiri province, officials said on Tuesday. The owner of the 2,949 pieces of second-grade timber—Khlong, Tbeng and Trach—is unknown, said Eng Hy, spokesman for the National Military Police, which ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/second2/owns-3000-logs-found-government-task-force-118253/
Awards for environment defenders
Eleven Cambodian environmental campaigners received “moniseraphon” medals from the government last month in recognition of their work to support the nation, according to a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen. But Buntenh, the founder of the Independent Monk Network for Social Justice, and social media ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29889/awards--for-environment-defenders/
Activists tell US to step up forest protection efforts
Conservationist Marcus Hardtke yesterday blasted USAID and Winrock for “four years of mismanagement” as the Forest Monitoring Working Group put out a call for “urgent action” from the American bodies. “They’re not addressing the core problem,” Hardtke said, adding that the two groups were ignoring the ...
Andrew Nachemson and Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/activists-tell-us-step-forest-protection-efforts
Cintri says it is owed up to $20M by Phnom Penh residents
Phnom Penh’s much-maligned waste-collection firm Cintri yesterday used a meeting with City Hall to ask for help in collecting between $10 million and $20 million in unpaid fees it says it’s owed by residents in the capital. ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cintri-says-it-owed-20m-phnom-penh-residents
US urged to save trees
A group of environmental NGOs working to protect the Prey Lang forest called on the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to intervene and protect the region’s resin trees, or they will all be logged within six months, they claimed in a joint-statement issued yesterday. The ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29843/us-urged-to-save-trees/
Reptile caper in the bag for border cops
A car filled with a slithering menagerie of reptiles destined to be sold at market in Vietnam was seized by Cambodia-Vietnam border officials in Kandal province on Wednesday night, according to Koh Thom district police. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/reptile-caper-bag-border-cops
General implicated in Prey Lang logging
Newly declared protected areas in Prey Lang forest are being illegally logged by companies belonging to a three-star general and his sister, according to Goldman Environmental Prize-winning conservationist Ouch Leng and NGOs with which he is working. Leng, along with 15 NGO officers, patrollers and ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/general-implicated-prey-lang-logging
Police admit logging failure
The National Committee for Forest Crime Prevention has admitted that despite claims from a variety of high-level government officials that deforestation and illegal logging had been stopped entirely, the illegal timber trade was still ravaging the country’s forests. In June, Environment Minister Say Samal claimed the ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29769/police-admit-logging-failure/
Troops mobilized to ‘disperse’ farmers clearing state forest
The governor of Kompong Speu on Tuesday ordered 10 armed soldiers to help a team of environmental officials confront a group of “anarchic” farmers clearing state forestland in the province. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/troops-mobilized-disperse-farmers-clearing-state-forest-117983/
Royal turtles get new home
More than 200 critically endangered royal turtles will be moved to a new center in Koh Kong’s Mondol Seima district today with 13 Siamese crocodiles also being relocated. Eng Mengey, communications officer for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), said royal turtles were now facing threats to ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29655/royal-turtles-get-new-home/
Police open fire on logger’s car
Police in Stung Treng province seized an unspecified amount of luxury wood after shooting out a tire of a Toyota SUV that tried to run a checkpoint on Sunday night in Sesan district. ...
Pav Suy
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29649/police-open-fire-on-logger---s-car/
Cambodia rangers get S. African help
Sixty Cambodian wildlife park rangers will be trained by South African experts next year, funded by video streaming content revenue generated by a partnership between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International and the Canadian-based international English-language TV channel, Love Nature. WWF International will leverage scenes from ...
Peter Olszewski
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29629/cambodia-rangers-get--s--african-help/
Promised Areng road will bring logging: org
Activists from environmental group Mother Nature yesterday cautioned that a proposed road pledged by Prime Minister Hun Sen for the Areng Valley could cause an increase in illegal logging and drug abuse. ...
Lay Samean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/promised-areng-road-will-bring-logging-org
Resin brings income for rural people
A project funded by USAID’s Supporting Forest and Biodiversity initiative is helping local communities relying on forests as their means to earn a living by tapping into an alternate source of income. ...
Safiya charles
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29560/resin-brings-income-for-rural-people/
Waste management challenge
A delegation of Cambodian officials told attendees at seminar at the Global Green Growth Institute’s Green Growth Week conference yesterday that waste management was the biggest environmental challenge facing Phnom Penh. The seminar heard examples from 10 countries – Cambodia, Columbia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Mongolia, the Philippines, ...
Ros Chanveasna
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29499/waste-management-challenge/
Luxury wood in suv in Mondulkiri
Police in Mondulkiri province seized an SUV loaded with luxury wood on Sunday night, with local police suggesting the car belonged to a high-ranking Phnom Penh-based military police official. During an operation to crack down on illegally transported wood in Oraing Sen district involving provincial police ...
Pav Suy
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29428/luxury-wood-in--suv--in-mondulkiri/
Timber negotiations scrapped; seized wood to be divided up
In the latest setback to its attempt to sell off millions of dollars worth of seized timber, the government canceled five days of negotiations with potential buyers scheduled for this week, an official said on Monday. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/timber-negotiations-scrapped-seized-wood-divided-117641/