Phnom penh: Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha on Tuesday called on residents of Prey Veng province to plant at least one tree annually and actively safeguard forests, emphasising collective action to combat deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha spoke at a tree-planting ceremony marking national Arbour Day in Ba Phnom district, where he highlighted the environmental toll of rapid urbanisation, economic expansion, and human settlement growth. He addressed hundreds of local officials, civil servants, and community members, urging every citizen to plant at least one tree each year in various locations such as homes, schools, pagodas, public spaces, or workplaces. He stressed that while the ceremony is symbolic, achieving a greener world requires participation from everyone, including the people of Prey Veng.
In practical directives, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed commune and district authorities to draft detailed plans specifying priority tree and crop species. These plans are to be submitted to the provincial administration and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for compilation and national review, which would enable targeted support to mitigate climate impacts.
H.E. Abhisantibindit Sar Sokha, who chairs the Royal Government’s Working Group for Prey Veng Province, also called on the Provincial Council, governors, line ministries, local administrations, armed forces, and residents to prioritise natural resource conservation and sustainable development, with a focus on agriculture and environmental protection.
The event highlights Cambodia’s broader push for reforestation, with a national goal to restore 1 million hectares of forest by 2030 under its National Forest Programme. Government data indicates that deforestation rates in Prey Veng, an agricultural heartland, have risen by 15 percent in the past decade, making such initiatives critical.