Cambodia joined dozens of other countries last month in committing to stop licensing new coal plants, however it is moving ahead with a series of Chinese-backed projects approved in the past few years — which includes the two plants in Sihanoukville.
Category: Cambodia
CSOs cheer coal, hydro ban
In a joint statement on November 15, the CSOs said the government’s commitment to banning construction of any new Mekong River dams was a positive development that would make a crucial contribution to addressing the increasing concerns over the current negative alterations of the Mekong River and its ecosystem’s sustainability.
Indo-Pacific Strategy and China’s BRI to complement regional prosperity
Under the umbrella of its Indo-Pacific Strategy, he added the US is guiding its alliances to contain or encircle China. For its part, China has deepened engagement with the ASEAN states through the BRI, the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB), and the creation of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Mechanism and so on and so forth”, said Kin Phea, International Relations Institute of Cambodia director-general.
Experts: Agricultural hurdles need addressing
Cambodia Coalition of Farmer Communities president Theng Saroeun said the agricultural sector had grown only for rich traders or large trading companies while family farms were still facing big challenges.
Cambodia determined to address climate change issues, ban on new coal fired power plant the start
Cambodia is committed to address climate change issues by securing over 400-MW solar power, equal to 15 percent of the country’s total energetic source, reducing illegal forest logging, and phasing out new hydro and coal power plants.
Will Cambodia Commit to Protecting Its Forests?
Over the past two decades, Cambodia has lost 28 percent of its tree cover — equivalent to 2.46 million hectares, according to the Global Forest Watch dataset. The annual rate of wood loss expanded by almost 300 percent during the same period.
Cambodia has built 15,000 km of paved roads and 20 bridges across the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers
Funding for Cambodia’s infrastructure comes from a number of development partners, including China, Japan, Korea, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, Thailand, Vietnam, and national budget. Therefore, Cambodia does not rely on China for 100% financing for its infrastructure development as often alleged.
Cambodia’s Hun Sen blames deforestation on the country’s poor
Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen blamed the country’s poor this week for the country’s growing loss of forest cover, saying authorities should now demolish all wooden houses built after 1979 to reclaim the materials from which they were built.
The $168 million Mekong-Australia Partnership launched
According to a statement from the Australian Embassy in Cambodia said the MAP provides support to the five countries in the Mekong subregion to strengthen economic recovery, environmental resilience, and human capacity, with a particular focus on bridging the development gap between Asean member states.
Hun Sen: Filled-in lakes not cause of flooding in capital
“Floods in Phnom Penh have nothing to do with the Prek Tnaot River. Even if nothing is done to it, the river still floods [during rainy season]. But I do not encourage anyone to block the waterway or the flow of water. Do not continue to criticise flooding in Phnom Penh during the rainy season and place the blame on the filling-in of lakes.”