The Bootprint of Climate Change on Cambodia

The case of infectious diseases due to Yali Dam

Villagers in a remote Stung Treng’s Svay Rieng village living along the Sesan River reportedly appeal for health treatment assistant due to the infectious disease coming from dirty water flowing from the Yali dam in Vietnam. Majority of 200 families in this village are using the water from Sesan River in where dirty water, rubbish, and feces and water infiltrates from a red earth area are discharged from the Yali Dam located near Cambodia-Vietnam border.

This has resulted to different types of infectious diseases including diarrhea, itchy skin diseases, swollen limbs, typhoid, on the villagers; particularly the children. Over 20 children and adults have reportedly suffered from diarrhea and itchy skin disease since January 2010.

Notably, these kind of disease symptoms had never appeared in this village who always consumed the water from the river. The below video, in Khmer language, was reported by Radio Free Asia, where villagers were echoed their disease symptom and its root causes. Translation excerpt is available on the Mirror.

In fact, there have been much discussion and concerns by many stakeholders concerning the impact resulted from the building of the Yali Dam since 2000. The Vietnam’s $1 billion Yali Falls dam which was begun without prior Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was later assessed by community-based groups who concluded that the dame has causes and is causing serious environmental and socio-economic impact to 20,000 people in 59 villages in the dam affected area, downstream on the Se San river in Cambodia’s Ratanakkiri and Steung Treng provinces.

The study conducted in 2000 further revealed that the dam is bringing death, disease and environmental devastation to Cambodia even before it is fully working. These mentioned impact has actually and continually occurred now. In 2000 report, five Cambodians were reportedly killed, crops destroyed, and fishing boats lost after the released water from the Vietnamese power station into the Se San river that cause a sudden surge in the volume and current downstream in Cambodia’s Ratanakkiri province.

There has been also much discussion on the quality of water which has harmed many livestock.

“According to the study, villagers claimed that more than 4,900 buffalo have died of unusual diseases since the water quality problem began in 1996. They also reported the similar deaths of more than 2,200 cows, 7,800 pigs, 1,600 ducks, tens of thousands of chickens, and more than 2,500 dogs and cats”

Regardless these reported cases, it seems there have been yet proper mechanisms being addressed and continued to impact to the community well-being where the social infrastructure including health care or risk reduction system have been yet well equipped. If this continued, it will be resulted into large social and economical cost similar to Minamata disease, where Japanese government had failed to taken any immediate risk assessment and reduction.

Background of Risk Management System Section:

This is a series of reflection on the risk of management system in Cambodia followed the study on Japan’s Minamanta disease; particularly, after a current IUJ‘s lecture seminar, “The Error shall not be Repeated,” by Mr. Katuhiko Bando, a key attorney for the lawsuits filed by the victims of the Minamata disease in Niigata and Kumamoto against the polluted companies since the late 1960s. Mr. Bando have kept legal fighting, regardless the recommendation by many other attorneys and judges to have political resolution, in order that justice and proper compensation for the victims can be prevailed. The Minamanta case reveals much failure of Japanese government in risk management system by putting more priority on industrial activity (after the post-war war II period and during competitive world market), and fails to involve stakeholders (who can be individuals, groups or organization that can affect, be affected by or perceived themselves to be affected) for risk communication and monitoring. This failure have great impact on the society; especially the victims who have been burdened for the legal battle and social respect.

The early reflection to Cambodia was on the current practice of the Cambodian government who neglects or bypasses the regulations in approving forest concessions or filling the lakes is not only harmful to natural resource depletion, but also to environment, to human life, and the whole community survival. This includes the case of 1) the Bokor mountain which have been authorized by the government to private company in the name of development project of palm oil and cassava plantations and livestock farms,and 2) the filling of Boeng Kok Lake, which the private company could start their land filling operation even before the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been approved. Though the company recently obtained EIA stated that the lake the Boeng Kok is “dead lake—no major impact on environment”, there is also remark that some flooding will occur in rainy season and they are unable to provide any specific estimation on severity of risk.

Relevant articles:

Another Failure of Risk Management System: a case of SMON

Reflection on the risk management system in cambodia

A failure of risk management system a case of minamata disease

Oct 28, 2009, Published on UPI Asia online

Niigata, Japan — Cambodia held its first National Forum on Climate Change in Phnom Penh on Oct. 19, to raise awareness of climate change issues and their effects on socioeconomic development. This is a positive development for Cambodia, where issues related to climate change are likely to be incorporated into its national development plans.

On the final day of the three-day forum, Cambodia issued its draft position ahead of December’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. It said it would do “its utmost” to reduce greenhouse gases, but developed countries must help in its efforts.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen said that developed nations must do more for their poorer cousins as they have more resources. He said Cambodia was not responsible for climate change but is a victim. Although natural disasters ranging from typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis have hard hit countries like the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia, among others, the impact on Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos has been fairly low. But apparently it is believed that they are signs of the impending impact of climate change.

Cambodia’s present actions toward combating climate change can help the country achieve sustainable development so the next generation will not have to bear the cost of its current natural resource depletion. The U.N. Human Development Report 2007/2008 said, “Humanity is living beyond its environmental means and running up ecological debts that future generations will be unable to repay.”

But the Cambodian government must reexamine its current practices, which often neglect or bypass regulations on environmental protection. For example, no environmental impact assessment report was filed before the government granted a contract to a private company to fill the Boeng Kak Lake in Phnom Penh.

Although the company recently obtained an EIA stating that the said structure is a “dead lake” and the project would have “no major impact on the environment,” the lake is prone to flooding during the rainy season and no estimate on the severity of risk due to flooding has been provided.

There must also be a proper cost-benefit analysis that does not place weight on economic gains alone, but also embraces a sustainable development plan where risk estimations are carefully projected. For example, the government authorized a private company to pursue a development project of palm oil, cassava plantations and livestock farms in the Bokor Mountain region, but the project is expected to affect the natural beauty as well as the quality of land and the environment.

Without risk reduction and protective mechanisms, the state and its citizens will have to bear the risks and costs of future adjustments, which could be higher than the current predicted economic benefits.

Therefore, the government must seek to enhance a resilient environmental risk management plan and invoke existing principles and laws. One is Precautionary Principle 15 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which is one of the guiding principles of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Cambodian Ministry of Environment ratified this convention on Dec.13, 1993: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation,” it said.

This places the burden on the state, and not the community that is the victim of environmental damage, to prevent environmental degradation. But in most cases, the state and the companies it tasks to environmental projects are never held responsible for disregarding laws and causing damage to the environment. So the government must take responsibility to implement the convention it has ratified.

All stakeholders, including individuals, groups or organizations that can affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by the risk of environmental degradation, must involve themselves in determining and taking decisions on any tolerable risk. Access to information must be ensured as provided by the precautionary principle as well as the 1996 Cambodian Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management.

Article 11 of the environmental law clearly states, “The Ministry of Environment shall immediately inform concerned ministries whenever the Ministry of Environment finds that natural resources are not being conserved, developed, or managed [or] used in a rational and sustainable manner.” Articles 16, 17, and 18 also elaborate and encourage public participation and access to information.

All this should not be viewed as going against development projects of the Cambodian government, but rather as seeking to emphasize the framework for action by all stakeholders to protect the environment.

Cambodia has a weak social infrastructure, so the poor are more prone to be hard hit by the impact of climate change and environmental damage. Therefore they deserve the right to participate and benefit from the government’s so-called development projects.

On the other hand, people must not take the government’s action for granted, but must try to preserve the natural resources and environment through action within their power. For example, households can use reusable bags rather than plastic bags while shopping.

There must be greater awareness of the fact that natural resources cannot be easily renewed and the cost of environmental reconstruction is higher than preservation. Every citizen must make environmental protection his or her civic responsibility.

–

(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

Published on UPI Asia

Niigata, Japan — Thousands of people around the world celebrated World Environment Day last Sunday with various “green activities.” The global U.N. event to combat climate change was embraced by companies, locals and heads of state heeding U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call: “Your planet needs you.”

However, recent studies highlighting the impact of climate change on Cambodia point to worrisome risks that the country can no longer afford to ignore.

According to the U.N. Environmental Program, climate change is occurring due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases caused by human activities, especially industrial processes that produce intense emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. While there remain uncertainties as to the speed, timing and impact of the resultant global warming, the associated risks on humans and our planet have been identified.

According to the U.N. Development Program’s Human Development Report 2007/2008, “Humanity is living beyond its environmental means and running up ecological debts that future generations will be unable to repay.” These facts can no longer be denied and require an immediate and urgent global and local response.

In Cambodia, the impact of climate change has become apparent, yet the general public does not feel alarmed due to limited knowledge and other, more pressing social problems like land grabbing, human rights violations and corruption, which are more visible in daily life.

Studies have examined the impact of climate change on the country by two approaches: direct and indirect. The direct impact is seen in the change in natural rainfall patterns in the country. Though incidences of flood and drought are common in Cambodia, a study conducted by the Cambodian Ministry of the Environment on climate change impact says that global warming may increase the country’s wet season rainfall and decrease its dry season rainfall. This indicates a relationship between the degree of global warming and natural disasters in Cambodia.

Cambodia, like other agrarian economies, is especially vulnerable to weather-related disasters as more than 80 percent of its population is subsistence farmers. Based on data from the past five years, Cambodia’s paddy production was destroyed as much as 70 percent by floods, and 20 percent and 10 percent respectively by droughts and diseases.

Besides, natural disasters have increased the risk of contagious diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, and other physical and psychological disorders. There were about 40,000 reported cases of dengue fever in Cambodia in 2007 alone, and 407 deaths.

Also, according to health workers, Cambodia could be facing another severe dengue fever outbreak with an increasing mosquito population. Although there had been a general decline in malaria cases over the last decade, the severity and fatality rate has increased since 2003.

The Ministry of the Environment estimates that under changing climatic conditions Cambodia may experience increasing incidences of malaria, up 16 percent from its current rate. Natural disasters have upset fragile ecosystems, which in turn have triggered other changes that have affected issues such as rising poverty and malnutrition in children. These have disturbed the growth and development in children.

Meanwhile, damage to infrastructure and land has compelled people to relocate, which has caused psychological disorders in many. This illustrates how vulnerable Cambodiais in facing the impact of climate change due to a lack of infrastructure and mechanisms to lessen the effects.

Strict environmental policies adopted by developed and developing countries have in some ways affected Cambodia, where the rule of law and economic development is still weak. For example, there are reports that tons of toxic waste are deposited in Cambodia by other nations.

In November 1998, a large quantity of mercury-laden waste from Taiwan was dumped in Sihanouk Ville, a famous tourist and port area in Cambodia. Due to health concerns, thousands of residents fled from the area, resulting in several accidents along a bumpy, narrow road with at least four dead and 13 injured, as reported by the New York Times.

Surprisingly, a month later another case was found involving more than 650 tons of film scraps from Taiwan again. In addition, several months prior to this, the Sihanouk Ville police found waste materials including x-rays, used cassette and videotapes from South Korea.

This is evidence of the environmental pollution and hazards caused by “dumping” waste in Cambodia. With corruption common and the rule of law lacking, it is an easy target for other countries looking for a place to shift their waste.

Moreover, the “race to the bottom” – the competitive lowering of standards – is another catalyst for some domestic and foreign investors to operate businesses, such as logging and mining minerals or coal, at the cost of environmental and natural resources depletion. In some cases, land or forest concessions were granted without transparent procedures and contracts were approved without environmental impact assessments.

With these direct and indirect impacts from climate change, different level of impact can be analyzed on the country, community and individual level.

On the country level, with agricultural inactivity and losses due to natural disasters, Cambodia, which largely depends on its agricultural sector, will experience slow economic growth made worse by the global recession and economic crisis. Also, poor and underdeveloped health infrastructure will aggravate health problems and further burden the government.

Though the results of environmental and natural depletion may not be visible now, it will be a heavy burden for Cambodia’s next generations, who will have difficulty in bridging its ecological deficit.

On the community level, the livelihoods of many will be affected by natural disasters. Not only homes and properties, agricultural produce and health, but even community collaboration and trust will be broken when every individual family faces the economic downturn, which in turn will lead to more social crimes.

On the individual level, people will no longer get fresh air and clean water. Depletion of natural resources and bad economic policies will discourage foreign direct investment, which otherwise provides employment to locals.

Ultimately, the current trend illustrates that Cambodia is now facing the risk of unsustainable development for its next generation. Immediate action is required to tackle the potential risks that climate change brings.

Cambodia’s weak social infrastructure will largely affect the poor. The government and all other stakeholders must come up with strong policies and fast action to combat climate change.

Yet, while parts of the economy are making considerable progress, more than 30 percent of the population is still living in extreme poverty. Together with corruption and continued human rights violations – especially the increasing forced evictions and land grabbing under the so-called development claims – there is little hope that Cambodia can move out of poverty. Thus the question arises: For whom is the Cambodian government attempting to achieve its development goals?

The current pursuit of development by the Royal Government of Cambodia has often brought legal abuses and violations of peoples’ rights to housing and development. While the judicial system is corrupt and the state is the main violator of the law, the poor communities are voiceless and powerless.

One example was the eviction of residents of Sambok Chab village on June 6, 2006, which threatened to turn into a serious humanitarian crisis. According to the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, an estimated 6,000 people at a relocation site close to Trapeang Andong village in the Dangkao district were denied the basic rights to food, housing, clean water, public health services and schooling.

More than 1,200 families from Sambok Chab were forcibly relocated to idle rice fields under the supervision of hundreds of armed police and soldiers. Located more than 20 kilometers from their former homes, these people lost their meager means of making a living and many were starving. There was no administration over this site and no security; people dared not leave their small huts for fear that others would take their few belongings.

According to human rights and media observers, on Jan. 24 this year residents of the village of Dey Krahorm were evicted at 2:00 a.m. by over 400 workers from the 7NG Company, a property developer, together with over 300 heavily armed police officers. During this operation, tear gas and heavy machinery including bulldozers were used. Eighteen community members were injured and private property was systematically destroyed.

More than 400 families were reportedly forcibly evicted. Most of them were market stall holders and renters. They were relocated to Damnak Trayeung, 20 kilometers from Phnom Penh, where they set up a makeshift camp on 7NG land beside a road. Some house owners also went to Damnak Trayeung, but others were able to stay temporarily with friends, family or NGOs in Phnom Penh.

The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, or LICADHO, reported a lack of facilities at the relocation site including food, water, shelter, mosquito nets and medical facilities. There are no toilets, forcing people to use open fields or unfinished apartment buildings. These unhygienic conditions are obviously harmful to health.

Despite appeals from local and international organizations, as well as pleas from affected residents, evictions have not stopped. Other communities fear it will soon be their turn. In addition to these evictions in urban areas, there have been many cases of land grabbing in the provinces.

The evictions generally follow a pattern with four characteristics: They are violent, using armed forces, tear gas and heavy machinery to drive people out. They follow illegal procedures, without public consultation, prior announcement or justification. They ignore peoples’ right to private property, taking their homes without providing proper compensation or adequate social infrastructure. They are not in the public interest, as most evictions occur on land contracted to private companies in the name of “development projects,” which often turn out to be shopping malls or multistoried apartment buildings.

The relocated people are not benefitting from such development. Hence, the so-called development projects are merely an excuse to hide the government’s violations of peoples’ rights. This must be stopped.

In fact, there are legal guarantees to housing and development. The right to housing is entrenched in a number of international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 11), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Article 3), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Article 14) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 27).

Furthermore, the right to development is an inalienable human right. Equal opportunity for development is a privilege of both nations and of individuals who make up nations.

The Cambodian Constitution (Article 31) states that the government shall recognize and respect human rights as stipulated in the United Nations Charter and other declarations, covenants and conventions related to human, women’s and children’s rights. In addition, the 2001 Cambodian Land Law ensures the right to private ownership of land and prohibits violent, forceful eviction.

The government must abide by its own Constitution and laws.
In principle, people strongly support the government’s development plans and recognize its right to sell land to private companies that can develop it according to the public interest. Yet the government also has the obligation to protect its citizens and their fundamental rights to adequate housing and the means to make a living.

To protect these rights, the government should propose onsite development plans rather than opting to evict poor villagers in the name of city development. If evictions are necessary, the residents should be informed and consulted beforehand. They should be fairly compensated for their property, and relocation sites should include sufficient infrastructure for the people to live in dignity and earn income for themselves and their families.

Most importantly, the government’s master plan must be presented to the public. It is a crucial part of a democratic system for the people to be aware of their country’s development plans.

(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, on which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. ©Copyright Chak Sopheap.)

2) the filling of Boeng Kok Lake, which the private company could start their land filling operation even before the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been approved. Though the company recently obtained EIA stated that the lake the Boeng Kok is “dead lake—no major impact on environment”, there is also remark that some flooding will occur in rainy season and they are unable to provide any specific estimation on severity of risk (Cambodia Daily, “Expert Dipute Boeng Kak Impact Report,” Thursday, March 26th 2009). This should recall to:
Precautionary Principle 15 of 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (one of the guiding principles of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of which the Cambodian Ministry of Environment has ratified this convention in Dec 13 1993) :
“in order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation”.

This precautionary principal places emphasis on the shift the burden of proof to proponents, not the victims or community who will be affected. However, most of the cases, the company is rarely demanded to proof the case, but the victims. Thus the government should take its responsibility to implement the convention that they had ratified.

Risk Monitoring and communication

The stakeholders need to be involved in determine and make decision on any tolerable risk and the access to information must be ensured as provided by the precautionary principle as well as the 1996 Cambodian Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management:
Article 11
The Ministry of Environment shall immediately inform concerned ministries whenever the Ministry of Environment finds that natural resources are not being conserved, developed, or managed [or] used in a rational and sustainable manner.

The procedures for public participation and access to information on environmental protection and natural resource management shall be determined by Sub-decree following a proposal of the Ministry of Environment.

This article is not raised to against the development project of the Cambodian government, it yet to provide the framework for the relevant stakeholders to take action on their assigned duties to serve the public interests and to avoid the future cost of risk management system failure. Also, in the case of weak social infrastructure, the poor and affected residents are more vulnerable and they deserved the rights to benefit from that so-called development dream.
Note: this article is interlinked to the previous articles:
Law needs to be enforced at Boeng Kak
Bokor National Park should be preserved
A failure of Risk Management System: a case of Minamata Disease

A failure of Risk Management System: a case of Minamata Disease
Minamata disease: is a form of methylmercury poison affecting the central nervous system. It is due to prolonged large consumption of fish and shellfish polluted with methylmercury compound produced by chemical plants’ dump wastewater flowing into rivers and seas, which then accumulates in fish.
Mercury is chemical element used in many everyday products, including shining lights and thermometers. Yet, Methylmercury is highly toxic, and if it absorbs into the blood and then to the brain, it will significantly damage to the human body. For the case of pregnant woman, the unborn baby could suffer brain damage.

The symptom: of Minamata Disease includes numbness (arm and legs), ataxia (loss of coordination), loss of equilibrium, vision narrowing, and loss of hearing. In sever cases, victims suffer dementia and unconsciousness, and it may lead to death due to acute fulminate form. The following is the statement of a victim who died shortly after saying:
I want to get better soon. Soon. Everything is numb…my whole body.
Everything is getting dark. Breathing is hard. Living is hard.
Origin of disease: The case of Minamata disease was firstly confirmed in Minamata Bay, Kumamoto Prefecture, in 1956. That is the reason why it is called Minamata Disease. Then, in 1965, it was found in the Agano River basin, in Niigata Prefecture. The government only made an official announcement of disease in June 1965, about 10 years after the disease notification. The number of the Niigata victims applying for certification alone was about 2,138, but only 690 victims were officially recognized. For Kumamoto victims, the number of official recognized victims was only 12,621 (out of 23,037 applicants). The disease was confirmed to be eliminated by 1978.

Causes: In Kumamoto Prefecture, the disease stemmed from the waste pollution of Chisso Minamata Plant, which had been a symbol of the area growth. Chisso produced acetaldehyde, the raw material for acetic and vinyl acetate (1932-May 1968).During this operation, the methylmercury was negligently dumped into the Minamata Bay. Though, the company argued that the explosives, amine, and other substances were the cause of disease, not the methylmercury.
For the case of Niigata Prefecture, the researchers found out that it was due to wastewater polluted by Showa Denko Kanose Plant. However, the company rejected the claim and offered “Agricultural Chemicals Theory,” holding that agricultural chemicals leak, during the Niigata earthquake, from a storage warehouse near the mouth of the Shinano River; then reached the Agano River.
These companies’ argument slowed up the process of harm identification, while the victims suffered and some died.

(source: Department of Health and Social Welfare (Mar 2005), “Outline of Niigata Minamata Disease,” Niigata, Japan)
Impact: The disease led to physical handicaps and impacts on their employment. Before, they were effectively hard-working homemakers or farmers. However, physical handicaps robbed their full capacity to work, and for some victims who hide their disease, were labeled as unskilled or lazy and they were forced to quit working. The disease also largely affected the fishing industry, which is the main income source of residents in these areas. Their sale was dropped due to the outbreak of disease (the total catch for the six fishing association in the Agano River fell by 23% for migrating fish, and about 65% for river fish). This income impact brought them into poverty and greatly changed their life as well as their family.

Beside, the victims also emotionally suffered from heartless discrimination, insults, and bigotry of the surrounding people (due to limited information about the causes of disease. It is like the case of HIV/AIDs that people previously prejudged that it can be infected by touching or speaking to that patients). Before the causes of Minamata Disease was not yet found, the disease was considered as a curse, or infectious disease that the victims were shunned by the community. Although after finding the cause of disease, there was still discrimination and the victims were laid off from their job, also their children could not find employment and marriage partners.
Implication: Though they were seriously affected by the disease, the legal procedure placed more burdens on the victims, including the responsibility to proof the case; applying for certification to be Minamata disease victims (some of them were rejected, so that they could not get any compensation or medical treatment and it was due to the strict certification regulation), and continuing effort to get stakeholders (the company and the government who neglected to prevent the second disease outbreak) accountable. Due to the delayed court process (about 10 years) and continued deny of the proponents, the victims were agreed to reach political resolution by the three main political parties: compensation and medical scheme by company and the government to those certified victims.

This story indicates the government failure in risk management system by putting more priority on industrial activity (after the post-war war II period and during competitive world market), and fails to involve stakeholders (who can be individuals, groups or organization that can affect, be affected by or perceived themselves to be affected) for risk communication and monitoring. Also, this experience can be the good lesson for developing countries whose social infrastructure and risk management system are weak.
Note: The reflection on Cambodia context is followed in the next article.

Reference:
Watanabe Shinichi (2009, winter) “Economic Development and its Risks to Life, Environment and Community: The case of Minamata Disease,” Risk Management under Globalization Class, Lecture Slide, International University of Japan.
Field visit (2009, Jan 27) at the Niigata Learning Center for Humans and Environment, meeting with Ms. Setsuko Kotake, a Minamanta disease victim.
Department of Health and Social Welfare (Mar 2005), “Outline of Niigata Minamata Disease,” Niigata, Japan
Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan (2002), “Minamata Disease: The History and Measures,” [online] http://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/hs/minamata2002/

Referring to recent Articles on the “Government Authorizes Development in Bokor Park”, Cambodia Daily, Monday, I am deeply concern about natural resource management and environmental protection in Cambodia, once there will be development of palm oil and cassava plantations and livestock farms within the Bokor National Park. These development activities will affect both beauty and quality of land and the environment as well as the national resource over there.

I visited Bokor National Park once and I found this place is a rich natural sightseeing and one of the most attractive tourist destinations regardless its infrastructure is yet improved. It was my first time in my life to see dark forest covered by huge trees and diversified natural combination. I was expecting that this wonderful Bokor National Park would be preserved and included in the government agenda for tourist attraction as Angkor Wat Temple or Sihanouk Ville. Yet, the recent authorization of the government over the commercial plantations to a private company makes this expectation uncertain and doubt the future of Bokor beauty which can contribute much to national income through its tourist zone.

In fact, I strongly support the government plans for country development and recognize the effort of the government in promoting investments for economic growth. However, such development should precede legal means and long-term national interests as stated in article 8 of the 1996 Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management, which reads: “The natural resources of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which include land, water, airspace, air [ …] shall be conserved, developed, and managed and used in a rational and sustainable manner”. I therefore would like to appeal to the government to reinforce this law and ensure that any development projects would not harm to our natural resources.

“reprinted with the permission of The CAMBODIA DAILY.”

17th -29th September, 2007 (08:00?18:00) [23rd, 24th Sept,2007 (closed)] Place: Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), Lobby Hall In the campus of RUPP, Russia Blvd, Khan Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Co-organized by Japan Foundation and CJCC Supported by Embassy of Japan, JICA, Japanese Association of Cambodia (JAC)

?The Japan Foundation has been holding The Asian Cartoon Exhibition every year since 1995 in various countries, employing the friendly medium of cartoons for introducing Asian societies, cultures, and peoples’ ways of life from various perspectives. And this is a first exhibition in Cambodia. The theme for this year is “Asian Environmental Issues”. The burdens placed on the environment have serious consequences not only for us living in Asian nations but also everybody all over the world and the entire world needs to tackle them as a shared responsibility. In this exhibition, 10 leading cartoonists from 10 Asian nations namely Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have produced a total of 77 new works depicting the environmental as well as for promoting our awareness about our shared responsibility.? While producing works on the environmental problems characteristic of each nation, the various cartoonists flavored them with unique senses of humor and satire. Hoping you could find the works amusing and insightful into Asian society, culture, and ways of living, as well as potent food for thought. Please visit at www.cjcc.jp for furthered information.