MoE Unveils Four Robust Measures to Safeguard Cambodia’s Air Quality

• Sommana Yan
• 11 January 2024
• Uncategorized
• 1459 Views

The Ministry of Environment has issued a comprehensive set of four key measures to be implemented across the 25 capital-provincial administrations. Announced on 10 January 2024, these measures aim to mitigate the adverse impacts of public air pollution, especially during the dry season from December to April.

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the MoE’s study reveals a concerning decline in air quality during the aforementioned dry season. Monitoring results indicate a significant increase in the concentration of inert particles (PM10 and PM2.5), surpassing prescribed standards and posing risks to both human health and the environment. The rise in inert particles can be attributed to emissions from industrial vehicles, forest fires, grassland fires, and various incineration activities.

To address this challenge, the MoE has called upon the 25 capital-provincial governors to actively promote the implementation of Royal Government Circular No. 01. The circular outlines crucial measures to prevent and reduce public air pollution, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts at municipal, district, Khan, commune, and Sangkat levels.

Additionally, the MoE recommends the following measures to effectively curb public air pollution:

1. Educational Campaign: Launching awareness campaigns to discourage the burning of forests, grasslands, plastics, agricultural waste, and other pollutants in open spaces.
2. Fire Prevention: Enforcing strict measures to prevent forest fires, grassland fires, and the burning of agricultural waste, plastics, and landfill sites.
3. Construction Site Management: Implementing dust prevention measures at construction sites and during the transportation of construction materials.
4. Street and Public Space Cleaning: Regularly cleaning streets and public areas to control dust accumulation.

• Energy and Environment