Category: Key Issues

Two hundred and sixteen (216) bird species were found and recorded in the 2nd edition of “The Birds of the Upper Mekong”.
Compiled by the USAID Greening Prey Lang, the publication serves as an important source of information for rapidly growing domestic bird-watching community, according to Acting Mission Director for USAID Cambodia Ms. Hanh Nguyen.
The Khmer version of the publication will also be handed out to community-based ecotourism communities in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces.
It will also be distributed to schoolchildren along the Upper Mekong to improve their awareness on bird species, their habitats, migratory routes, and beyond.
The useful book will also available for purchase in the above-mentioned communities.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

The cost of maintaining a healthy diet in Cambodia is the third-lowest in Southeast Asia, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) says.
According to a new set of indicators released by the FAO on Wednesday, Cambodia’s daily cost was US$3.89 per person based on purchasing power parity – exchange rates that equalises currency buying powers by removing differences in prices between countries.
Among other ASEAN countries, the cost was lowest in Singapore (US$3.06) followed by Malaysia (US$3.54).
Indonesia had the highest cost (US$4.47) followed by Brunei (US$4.41), Thailand (US$4.32), Myanmar (US$4.19), Laos (US$4.14), the Philippines (US$4.11) and Vietnam (US$4.07).
In terms of regions, the indicators — developed by the FAO with inputs from Tufts University and the World Bank — showed that Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest cost at US$3.89.
Asia came next (US$3.72) followed by Africa (US$3.46), Northern America and Europe (US$3.19) and Oceania (US$3.07).
The FAO said costs in Asia rose 4.0 percent between 2019 and 2020, the sharpest increase among regions.
Oceania ranked next (3.6 percent) followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (3.4 percent), Northern America and Europe (3.2 percent) and Africa (2.5 percent).
Mr. David Laborde, director of FAO’s Agrifood Economics Division, said ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition was more than securing enough food to survive.
“What people eat must also be nutritious,” Mr. Laborde said. “Yet a key obstacle is the high cost of nutritious foods and the low affordability of healthy diets for vast numbers of people around the world.”

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

The Royal Government of Cambodia have reaffirmed its commitment to protect Irrawaddy dolphin starting with identifying zones to be conserved.
The effort was the prime purpose of a sub-decree on safe zones for rare Mekong River dolphins signed by Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen and circulated recently.
The Irrawaddy dolphin conservation and protection zones stretch for 120 kilometres along the Mekong River in the Stung Treng and Kratie provinces.
The Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin population is fully protected under Cambodia’s Fisheries Law and has been ranked as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.
In 2021, an estimated number of 95 dolphins were recorded in the Mekong River in Cambodia, up from 93 in 2020 and 89 in 2019, according to a report from the Department of Fisheries Conservation.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) in collaboration with its partners, schools, teachers and parents will celebrate the National Reading Day next week to emphasise the significance of reading.
The National Reading Day will be observed on Mar. 11, along with a book fair from Mar. 10 to 12 at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, according to a press release of MoEYS made public yesterday.
The annual celebration, themed this year “Reading is the way for education revolution”, is aimed to cultivate reading habits, promote reading culture, enhance reading and writing skills to contribute to the protection and strengthening of Khmer culture and civilisation.
The winners of reading, poetry and composition of the “Samdech Techo Hun Sen Awards” and the winners of the interpretation of literature will be announced on the occasion.
Besides, there will be a research lecture on “Assessing students’ learning outcomes in the context of education in the 21st century” by H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of MoEYS, as well as a presentation and a discussion on the importance of reading in the studies.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has asked some foreign friends to avoid making the third mistake to Cambodia.
At the inauguration ceremony of two school buildings and the graduation ceremony of over 4,600 students of the Institute of Technology of Cambodia held here at the Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre this morning, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that the first mistake was that some foreign friends supported a coup d’Etat in 1970, which plunged Cambodia into a long civil war and genocide.
The second mistake was that some of them supported the Khmer Rouge in the United Nations from 1979 to 1991, he added.
According to Samdech Techo Hun Sen, with these two mistakes, landmines and UXOs remain a major issue in Cambodia. The Kingdom has set a goal to clear all landmines by 2025.
“Please do not make the third mistake to Cambodia by pretending to be a democrat,” the Cambodian Premier underlined.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse