Cambodia and Australia are strengthening cooperation on environmental protection and natural resource management under Cambodia’s Environmental Sector Strategy, through joint efforts to safeguard the Mekong River, including the development of a sub-decree on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) procedures.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the SEA sub-decree will serve as a key legal and operational framework for implementation in Cambodia, with the aim of ensuring sustainable and inclusive development in the Mekong River basin.
The cooperation was formalised through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the ministry and the Asia Foundation on the preparation of the SEA sub-decree and institutional capacity development in Cambodia. The signing took place on February 12, at the ministry headquarters.
The agreement was signed by ministry secretary of state Cheab Paris and Meloney Lindberg, country representative of The Asia Foundation in Cambodia. The signing was witnessed by Australian ambassador Derek Yip and presided over by environment minister Eang Sophalleth.
A ministry statement explained that the SEA framework plays a critical role in integrating environmental considerations into the formulation of policies, plans and programmes across sectors.
“Strategic environmental assessment is not merely a technical guideline to strengthen assessment capacity,” the ministry said.
“It is a forward-looking tool that identifies potential environmental and social impacts and allows these considerations to be incorporated into national and sectoral policies, programmes and plans, ensuring that economic growth proceeds in tandem with sustainable environmental objectives.”
The ministry added that SEA also creates opportunities for green development across key sectors, including industry, mining, energy, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and telecommunications, as outlined in the Environment and Natural Resources Code, while also contributing to improved quality in environmental impact assessment implementation.
