Over 120,000 ha of Protected Land in Koh Kong Converted for Private & Public Use

• Sommana Yan
• 23 June 2021
• Local News
• 3149 Views

The Cambodian government has decided to take over 126,000 hectares of land from eight natural protected areas in Koh Kong province and convert them for private and public use.

According to Sub-Decree No. 30 dated 2 March 2021, some of the land will be given to local people, while some will be kept as state private land.

State private land is legally defined as all property that belongs to the state but does not have a public interest value. This land can be allocated or transferred to the private sector by the state.

Meanwhile, the 126,000 hectares were cut off from eight protected areas as follows:
• 5,159 hectares from Phnum Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary
• 29, 059.35 hectares from Southern Cardamom National Park
• 3,375.81 hectares from the central Cardamom National Park
• 26,103.03 hectares from Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary
• 7,235.14 hectares from Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary
• 30,064.51 hectares from Botum Sakor National Park
• 19,651.29 hectares from Dang Peaeng multi-use area
• 6,280.26 hectares from the Cardamom Mixed Conservation Corridor area

The Koh Kong provincial administration will mark boundaries on these land plots, register them, and later give them to targeted local people.

Meanwhile, the rest will be kept as state private land for further infrastructure or other types of development.

Being renowned as one of the greenest provinces, Koh Rong province is home to the ‘Kesnor’ birds, is rich in all kinds of natural wealth, has a wide range of mountains on one side and a deep sea on the other side, plus many potential development opportunities for the economy, energy, underground and underwater mining resources, a deep-water port and international airport. (Read more)

• Laws and Regulation
• land development and policy