Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Ministers plant trees on Phnom Kulen National Park

Ministers plant trees on Phnom Kulen National Park

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Minister of National Defence Tea Banh (left) presides over a ceremony on Saturday to plant more than 17,000 saplings at the Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap province’s Svay Leu district. FACEBOOK

Ministers plant trees on Phnom Kulen National Park

Minister of National Defence Tea Banh and Minister of Environment Say Sam Al presided over a ceremony on Saturday to plant more than 17,000 saplings at the Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap province’s Svay Leu district.

Civil society groups applauded the move to restore forest cover in the park, which has suffered significantly due to deforestation.

Sam Al said at the ceremony that the trees would ensure the preservation of the national park and enrich its biodiversity.

“The forest maintains the balance of the natural environment, it provides fresh oxygen and can attract national and international tourists to come and visit [the province],” he said.

The new trees, Sam Al said, would help enrich biodiversity, ensure natural preservation, address the impact from climate change and protect the national park’s cultural significance.

Banh, who also serves as deputy prime minister, encouraged residents to join in efforts to prevent the illegal clearing of forest land for private ownership and hunting via the Ministry of Environment’s Facebook page on Saturday.

“The planting of trees on the rear side of Kulen mountain had strong support from the community and local authorities. I consider tree planting to be everyone’s duty,” Banh’s post said.

Cambodian Youth Network vice-president Sar Mory told The Post he welcomed the ministers’ initiative to replant felled trees in the area but added that the Kingdom needed to “take tough measures” to preserve its forests.

“[Communities] should participate in tree planting ceremonies more often, but more importantly, the Ministry of Environment and relevant ministries should also take tough measures to protect the natural forestry remaining in Cambodia.

“In the past few years, our forest cover has suffered greatly from illegal logging, economic land concessions, clearance and land occupation and so on.

“Natural forests in national park areas, wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas have yet to receive the protection they needed. The forest continues to face illegal clearing and land occupation and logging for business,” Mory said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry using ChatGPT AI to ‘ease workload’; Khmer version planned

    The Digital Government Committee is planning to make a Khmer language version of popular artificial intelligence (AI) technology ChatGPT available to the public in the near future, following extensive testing. On March 9, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications revealed that it has been using the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to