Cambodian PM vows to protect environment for sustainable development [Well, Hun Sen said this for the last 20 years but now the Cambodian forests are nearly depleted!]

 

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday that environmental protection is the most important measure to ensure the sustainable development of economy and society.

In his message on the 42nd International Environment Day that falls on June 5, Hun Sen said the government is committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which required the country to fulfill the target of 60 percent of forest cover by 2015.

According to the report of the Forestry Administration, forest cover in Cambodia is 103,398 square kilometers, or 57 percent of Cambodia's land, by 2010.

The prime minister said the government sees international relations and cooperation on environment issues as a priority.

"I'd like to urge developed countries to set their targets to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases so as to prevent earth temperature from rising over 2 decree Celsius," he said. "I'd like also to call on those countries to provide financial and technical support to countries that are vulnerable to climate change."

The occasion has been broadly celebrated in Cambodia.

Meanwhile, a few hundreds of pro-opposition youths rallied in Phnom Penh to urge the government to pay more attention to protect natural resources and prevent logging.

"The rally is to deliver petitions to the ministries of environment and agriculture in order to urge them to take strict measures to protect natural resources," said Tim Malay, director of NGO Cambodian Youth Network, which organized the gathering.