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| The green areas are lands that have been sanctioned for rubber plantations |
Alarm over 'timber grab' from Cambodia's protected forests
29 July 2015
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| Campaigners say that deforestation in Cambodia is taking place on a large scale |
Ancient,
highly valuable forests are being lost at an "unprecedented" rate from
protected lands in Cambodia, according to a new report.
The
analysis, from campaign group Forest Trends, says that large
corporations are using legitimate development permits to illegally clear
land.
Around 2,000 sq km of forests are being lost every year, they say.
Forests have long been a big issue of concern in Cambodia and across south east Asia.
In the 1990s, timber concessions were granted by the government and a rapid deforestation ensued, so much so that by 2005 the country had the third highest rate in the world.
Protests
from the international community forced the Cambodian government to act
and logging permits were significantly restricted.
But environmental campaigners say that the felling of trees in large numbers has continued by different means.
In
their latest report, Forest Trends say that the government has in
recent years granted what are termed Economic Land Concessions (ELC) to
large agri-business companies who want to develop the land.
Under
the guise of creating a rubber plantation for instance, the trees are
cleared and exported. On many occasions the plantations never
materialise.
According to the study around 14% of Cambodia has
been allocated to domestic and foreign corporations for development.
Around 80% of that land is in protected parks and forests.
The
report says that about 1.1 million hectares of concession areas were
awarded to purported rubber plantations, compared with 150,000 for sugar
and about 100,000 for pulp and paper.
"This is illegal by Cambodia's own laws and regulations," Kerstin Canby from Forest Trends told BBC News.
"If my interests are just to
get the timber out, I would to the Ministry of Agriculture get an ELC
and clear cut the entire forest and then I can state that I am going to
plant something, but who's going to punish me if I don't?"
The
researchers have used data from the government along with images of over
32,000 forest fires from Nasa satellites in 2012-13.
This
showed that carbon emissions from evergreen forests cut down in
concession areas are almost ten times greater than those outside,
confirming that it is the oldest and most valuable trees that are being
targeted.
The authors say that most of the timber is exported to
Vietnam and China - some of it may end up being sold to other parts of
the world.
"We are basically setting up
these 'cancer cells' in the best forest areas and this is getting out of
hand, the whole rule of law in the sector is melting away," Marcus
Hardtke, an expert on forest issues in Cambodia told BBC News.
"What
happens is that the companies set up sawmills within the concession
areas, but they basically go outside and grab everything and buy from
other areas, they bring it into the concession and they launder it via
the concession - this can go on for 2 or 3 years, they clean out the
whole area."
As part of global climate talks, the UN has been promoting the idea of REDD+, the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
Under
this programme developing countries, like Cambodia, can get financial
support from donors to keep their forests and the carbon they store,
intact.
But the REDD+ programme is seen as ineffective in
preventing the corruption and lack of legal capacity that Forest Trends
say is widespread in Cambodia.
"They have websites and newsletters but it is all irrelevant," said Marcus Hardtke.
"The house is burning but they are discussing the colour of the curtains."
Because of his hunger for power, fame and personal fortune, HUN SEN has now destroyed everything that belongs to Khmer including the Khmer people's life itself!!!
ReplyDeleteARE YOU HAPPY NOW, HUN SEN?
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