A flurry of subdecrees released through the end of July and early August show that the Cambodian government has approved he addition of more than a million hectares of land, or 2.5 million acres, to the country’s protected areas.
But amid the ongoing deforestation and privatization of Cambodia’s protected areas, civil society groups and activists remained skeptical given the lack of consultation involved in the process.
In what appears to be a comprehensive review of Cambodia’s protected-area system, more than 40 subdecrees amending protected areas across the country were issued between July and August, with 1.06 million hectares (2.62 million acres) added to the protected areas system and 34,395 hectares (84,992 acres) degazetted from four existing protected areas.
