A lush tropical nation of some 15.3 million inhabitants, Cambodia is one of the most biodiverse countries in Southeast Asia. To date, over 8,000 species of plants, more than 800 species of fish and 500 bird species have been recorded across Cambodia, from the forest highlands to the mangrove wetlands near the country’s coast.
However, recent economic development is posing an increasing threat to Cambodia’s environmental future. This is particularly troubling in the capital Phnom Penh, where population growth due to rapid industrialization has led to an uncontrolled increase in waste production: in the last 10 years, waste in one of Phnom Penh’s main landfills has more than doubled.
To help resolve this pressing issue, Cambodia has regularly engaged with the international community, and has ratified the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions. In this same spirit, Cambodia has recently partnered with the Chemicals and Waste Management Programme on an important three-year project to strengthen key institutions in order to promote a more efficient and coordinated implementation of these international agreements.
In full: https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/cambodia-track-tackle-chemicals-and-waste
