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Destruction of Cambodia's forests is the biggest threats to the country's ability to effectively deal with the effects of climate change, the UN warned in a new report to be released today. Cambodia is one of the most vulnerable countries in the region when it com to climate change, and has a "limited adaptive capacity" in dealing with the effects, said Sophie Baranes, UN Development Program deputy country director, who spoke yesterday at a briefing in Phnom Penh. The UNDP and the Ministry of Environment produced the report. The soaring rate of forest destruction has made Cambodia a significant contributor to environmental damage in the report, titled" The Future for Rural Livelihoods in the Face of Climate Change." Losing more forest cover, the report warns, means that the potential for absorbing gases will be "highly compromised," eventually leading to longer, hotter dry seasons and shorter, more unpredictable rainy seasons.
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Cambodia's "weak legal framework" regarding forest protection is highlighted, as well as insufficient legal support for land rights and a "lack of government capacity to manage forests." The report says that damage may be avoided by "halting deforestation." It also says that there are large blanks in information available on the true state of Cambodia's forests. Tin Ponlok, deputy director general of the Ministry of Environment's climate change department, said that the government was maintaining the target of 60 percent forest cover under the Millennium Development Goals. Prey Veng appears to be the area most at risk from climate change-related problems, problems, as its industry is focused on rice cultivation and it is a low-lying province, Mr Ponlok said.
By Alice Burke
The Cambodia Daily
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