The Ministry of Environment is developing a new policy to manage rubbish and solid waste in urban areas to address and resolve waste management issues. The new policy includes collection zones and the creation of more dumpsite, contributing to making Cambodia a beautiful country that has a good, hygienic and attractive environment.
According to the ministry, about 10,000 tonnes of rubbish is produced in Cambodia daily. However, only about 50 per cent of rubbish is disposed at dumpsites while the remaining ends up on the streets, in waterways or is burned.
Phnom Penh Post, January 27, 2020
The Cambodia’s government has issued a new directive instructing all institutions to prevent and reduce emissions. According to the directive, pollutants are produced by factories, vehicles, forest fire, rubbish and waste burning at construction sites, and that it will affect people’s health. Government officials should monitor construction sites, gasoline depots, vehicles, and rubbish burning facilities to ensure people’s safety and welfare.
According to Ministry of Environment, 70 percent of pollution came from vehicle fuels with high sulfur content, 20 percent from dust at construction sites and ten percent from other sources such as rubbish burning.
Khmer Times, January 3, 2020
The ministry plans to have the environment code adopted by the end of 2017. This code will still allow development to take place but with protection and restoration of environment. It allows the local administration to have more management control over the natural resources in their region. Citizens can have better access to information; therefore, they can take part in decision making process. Moreover, this code would also allow citizens to file complaints concerning environmental issues to an independent body at the Ministry of Environment.
See original document here.
a. Improved information dissemination: created website, and Facebook page for public awareness raising on environment, bio-diversity, and sustainable livelihood
b.Collaborated with relevant institutions and development partners in order to raise awareness at the community level on sustainable use of natural resources, the implementation of the EIA at community level, and the issues on energy and environmental pollution to all social levels
c. collaborated with MoEYs to integrate environmental education into the curriculum at all levels and with Ministry of Information to expand the outreach.
a. Evaluated projects on economic land concession (Reviewed activities of 23 private companies and revoked licenses and taken back over 90,000 hectares of land and it’s now under the management of MoE)
b.Created mechanism to facilitate and share the information on biodiversity (developed a website: www.chm.gdancp-moe.org, an on-line data center which contains UN-CBD related documents, events, decisions, policies and legislation).
a. Developed National Guideline for Sustainable City Development focusing on solid and liquid wastes management in the cities/towns in the country
b. Prakas with MOI and MEF on the implementation of the Environmental Funds for national and subnational level (for effectiveness, accountability and transparency of the use of the funding for solid waste management for 24 provinces (5 million USD for 2015).
c. Drafted law on environmental pollution management, sub-decree on management of e-waste, circular on sewage management in Phnom Penh, circular on waste collection and transportation, recycling, and solid waste disposal, inter-ministerial Prakas on sewage waste management in Phnom Penh
d. Created technical working group on environmental impact assessment to help checking and providing feedback on the social and environmental impact assessment reports submitted by private or public institutions.
e. Planning to build waste water treatment plants in Poipet and Phnom Penh
73 Economic Land concessions, under the Ministry of Environment, were handed to the Ministry of Agriculture, while all conservation areas are now under the Ministry of Environment’s accountability.
In addition to that, 13 protected forests are now under the Ministry of Environment’s supervision. The Prey Lang forest has been declared a protected area, along with four other main forests, namely,
Preah Roka, Prey Siem Pang Khang Lech, Prey Chrak Robeang Kravanh Khang Tbong and Prey Veun Sai.
a. constructed new ministry building (Morodork Dekcho) in between NAGA and Koh Pich (modernized green building)
b. decentralization (to provide authorization to sub-national level in the area of environmental protection, natural resource management ). MoE is planning to transfer the following functions to sub-national levels: (i) strengthen the control of solid and liquid waste in urban and in public areas; (ii) evaluating the environmental impact of Development Projects; (iii) managing community protected areas; (iv) mainstreaming the resilience of climate change; and (v) educating citizens and disseminate information about the environment.
a. Revised administration, staff, and financial management
b. Promote and strengthen the spirit of management team and officials (strengthen professionalism, solidarity, trust amongst staff at all levels)
c. Staff capacity building (collaborate with the Royal School of Administration to provide training for ministry officials at all levels on administration and financial management skills; training to build capacity of official at sub-national level on technical skills for environmental management and build capacity of national park rangers on management of natural conservation area)
An advisory group was created to advise on the process of restructuring the management structure, development of policy and strategy, and law enforcement.
