Minister of Environment Say Samal regarded the people of the communities in the Kingdom’s protected areas as the first line of defence for their forest homes.
The spirit of these guardians cannot be separated from stability and prosperity, and will increase as they gain more knowledge and change their behavior.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of a workshop to review and plan national protected area management in 2022, he said natural resources are one of the great treasures that the ancients had left for their descendants. Therefore, they must be protected by each generation in turn.
He said that natural resources are the key to supporting socio-economic development and the livelihoods of the Cambodian people. Protecting the forests brings income through the sale of carbon credit to volunteer markets.
“While enjoying the peace of the modern era, our people should plant more crops in their communities, to contribute to food security, create an abundance of food and for export to earn income for the nation,” he added.
Kim Nong, General Director of the ministry’s General Department for Natural Conservation, welcomed more input at the meeting to increase the effectiveness of the protection of natural resources.
