We, the students and the people of forest and fishing communities and indigenous community, farmer association and non-formal economic association, who have lived on natural resources and worked dealing with environment in the Kingdom of Cambodia, have great concerns about the loss of natural resource; especially deforestations which affect environment.   Despite of issuing a number of standard documents by the Royal Government in protection of environments and forests, we have observed that there are lacks and loopholes in implementation of these standard documents.

 

In the past few years the issues of changing climate because of deforestations and  the loss of forests as well as the loss of natural resources, are significantly facing problems for the people of Cambodia and the worlds encountering the same problems.   Anarchic deforestations by the rich and the powerful have become rampant and are operating unsurprisingly.  Provisions of economic concession lands, mines concessions and constructions of hydroelectric dams are devastating natural forests and have made the cover of forests significantly decrease.  Due to  negative impacts  of climate change,  temperature increase, the change of rain regimes, floods and draughts, the loss of biodiversity both in water and ground, have seriously happened very often and many other problems are sequently occurring.   All these issues have affected the conditions of the people such as: livelihood, business doing and the important things are health and safety of the people thanks to natural phenomenon that we don’t have any means to fight and forecast it.   Obviously in the past 2011 the Cambodians suffered the floods, which claimed 247 lives and injured 20 and destroyed 232.377 hectares of agricultural crops.  The floods hit 18 provinces out of 24 city-provinces in Cambodia.  In Kg Thom the flood claimed 41 lives and affected 54, 414 families.

 

Thus  if the Royal Government, concerned ministries and parliamentary institution don’t pay attention and effectively address deforestation issue on time, valuable, natural resources and forests of Cambodia must be destructed and deforestations will aggravate environment.  Additionally it also affect the whole national economic developments and the livelihoods of the people; especially the indigenous.

 

We, the youths, community people and forest activists, would like to request the Royal Government of Cambodia to effectively take legal action in protection of forest and natural resource; and to create the policy sustainably protecting the environment.

 

Suggestions:

We would like the Royal Government:

 

• To halt forest crimes, which are happening.
• To control the use of natural resource with transparency and accountability and to  properly assess the impacts.
• To urge competent authorities and government institutions to implement the 01 regulation of the Royal Government on the effective halt of the provisions of economic concession lands.
• To punish any government official who conspires with log traders in deforestations.
• To support and recognize the community’s activities and the association of the students who have made  efforts to protect natural resource and environment.

 

More information:

• Mr. Tim Malay, chairman of the Cambodian Youth Network.  Phone number

017 990 689.

• Mr. Vorn Pao, chairman of (IDEA). Phone number: 012 534 796.
• Mr. Seng Sok Heng, representative of (CPN).  Phone Number:  092  324 668.