Minister of Environment H.E. Eang Sophalleth has lauded the tireless efforts of the forest rangers, stressing that they have worked very hard and even sacrificed their lives to safeguard the country’s natural resources, environment, and cultural heritage.

H.E. Minister made the remarks while holding a get-together with leaders and officials of the Rattanakiri Provincial Department of Environment on July 31, on the occasion of the World Ranger Day.

H.E. Eang Sophalleth expressed pride in the park rangers, who are the frontline forces sacrificing their physical and mental strengths day and night to patrol, crack down on natural resource crimes, and sometimes risk their lives to protect natural resources and the environment, keeping them clean and green for future generations to come.

At the same time, he encouraged the public to value and appreciate the rangers who have persevered and worked hard to fulfill their mission effectively in protecting the environment and natural resources, and to join the rangers
in protecting natural resources and the environment sustainably.

According to the minister, in this new mandate of government, the Ministry of Environment has been entrusted to develop the three-pillar circular strategy on environment: clean, green, and sustainable. The ministry has set out the most drastic measures to prevent natural resource crimes by ending all cultures of signing the contracts to release natural resource perpetrators, and promoting 100 percent law enforcement.

The Ministry of Environment started celebrating the World Ranger Day to commemorate the brave heroism of the forest rangers in their mission to protect and conserve natural resources and the environment in 2015, and has continued to observe this day every year with the participation of relevant institutions, national and international organisations, monks, students, local communities, the public, and the private sector. To celebrate this year’s World Parks Day, the Ministry of Environment will hold the event on Aug. 15, 2024, in K
ep province.

There are 73 protected areas in the Kingdom of Cambodia, covering more than 7 million hectares, accounting for more than 40 percent of the country, with a total of 1,120 park rangers, including 38 females.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse