Environment and natural resources
Administrative court rules in favour of Egat over Xayaburi Dam
Thailand’s Administrative Court on 25 December dismissed complaints over the Xayaburi Dam against five state agencies. However, the 37 plaintiffs, from eight Mekong provinces, say they will appeal further. The judge, who read the verdict, said the defendants had fully complied with their obligation according to the law, ...
CSOs seek input on climate policies
Civil society and government representatives met at the Royal University of Phnom Penh on 24 December to discuss how both sides can cooperate to formulate climate change policies that fulfill Cambodia’s treaty obligations in the wake of the historic climate accord reached in Paris earlier this ...
Rice farmers looking at dry spell
Cambodian farmers and exporters have expressed concerns over an Agriculture Ministry notice issued on 23 December asking farmers to have only one harvest this upcoming dry season because of water shortages across the country, given that this could affect the paddy output next year. The ministry notice ...
‘Edge effects’ harming forests
Even comparatively small patches of human intrusion into contiguous forestland disproportionately saps forests’ ability to trap harmful carbon, a recent study has shown, a finding that suggests Cambodia’s government may be underestimating the environmental damage caused by logging and development. So-called “forest degradation” – unlike typical ...
Banteay Meanchey governor predicts water woes
The governor of Banteay Meanchey on 21 December warned of potentially dire water shortages in the province and said that authorities will begin constructing a small dam on the Serei Sophon River to keep the water from escaping. Pumping from other rivers, lakes and reservoirs will also ...
Study links deforestation, malaria
New research conducted in Malaysia has drawn a link between deforestation and a rise in a specific strain of malaria often carried by macaques, a link the study’s lead author says could hold true for Cambodia as well. The results of the study, published in Emerging ...
$1.3m of ivory, scales seized en route to Laos
An air shipment of illegal ivory and pangolin scales, worth an estimated $1.3 million, was intercepted and seized by the authorities on 13 December at the Changi Airfreight Centre. In a joint release on 17 December, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and Singapore Customs ...
Forestry has helped many families
Since its inception in the year 2000, the Forest Sector Support Partnership (FSSP) has supported Vietnam in environmental protection; improving livelihoods of people in forestry areas and enhancing the contribution of forestry to the economy, said Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural ...
Several primate species teeter toward extinction
Primatologists have identified the 25 most endangered primates globally, of which three are endemic to Vietnam, according to a press release from the Fauna & Flora International- Vietnam Programme. The Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri) and Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) are ...
ADB boosts climate funds
The pool of climate finances available to Southeast Asia is set to expand following an announcement by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that it plans to double its climate funding to the region by 2020 – a move welcomed by the Cambodian government and climate ...
