Cambodia is called the gold land in South East Asia and locates in the tropical area that favors the tree to grow quickly. Tropical weather makes Cambodia to have a big forest, especially in high land. Forest is very useful for Cambodian; it used to be the first house for our ancestors in the past for a long time and provided a lot of advantage to Cambodian ancestors. Nowadays it is still very important for our life and has a necessary role for Cambodian’s living. Therefore, this paper will describe about forest in Cambodia that is divided to four parts such as forest’s size, the advantage of forest, the reasons of decreasing forest, and the introduction the strategy to prevent the forest.
I. Forest’s Size in Cambodia
The factor of tropical weather in Cambodia allowed the growing of tree and makes our country to be green and wonderful, but unfortunately for over last 100 years forest in Cambodia has decreased the size immediately. The number of forest’s size in Cambodia from 1900 until now as following:
In 1900 there were 13,577,625 ha and equaled 75% of Cambodia’s size.
In 1960 forest left 13,215,555 ha and equaled 73% of Cambodia’s size (according to research by IRGF which cooperated with USAID).
In 1980 forest left 9,051,750 ha and equaled 50% of Cambodia’s size (according to Indian satellite).
In 1989 forest decreased until 7,548,000 ha and equaled about 41.7% of Cambodia’s size (according to Far Eastern Economic Review newsagent broadcasted on January 12th, 1989 that “Forest in Cambodia lost like Bird Fly” written by Margaret Scott).
Nowadays our forest leaves under 40% and continues to decrease from day by day.
II. The Advantage of Forest in Cambodia
In Cambodia there are many kinds of forest like inundated forest, sparse forest, deep forest of high trees, lowland forest, mangrove forest, bamboo forest… All of these usually provide a lot of benefits for our living and other creature, too. Depend on the tropical weather in Cambodia that favors the tree to grow quickly, so our forest has a lot of big trees that can provide the good wood for Cambodian to construct the house, design it to be the good furniture, and export the wood to foreign country as a product. Furthermore, forest can protect our country from the natural disasters (storm, flood…) and gives the good shelter for wild animal. Therefore, in our wonderful forest there are many kinds of animals and trees that attract the tourists to visit there and join to earn a lot of money for our country and our countrymen, too. Specifically, our forest is the resource of some plants which are useful to make drugs to cure our illness and it is the important resource of water to supply to other rivers where we can take water to do farming, take the electricity from the current of water, and use in our daily routine. Therefore, forest is very meaningful to all of us.
III. The Reason of Decreasing Forest in Cambodia
Forest is the resource of natural raw material and has a lot of benefits to fulfill our needs, but some people damaged it seriously to fulfill their greed that decreased forest to be smaller and smaller, especially in Cambodia. According to the experts of forest field said that there were many reasons about forest’s losing in Cambodia such as:
Invading the forest to get land to do farming. This event didn’t happen only in the inundated forest, but it happened in all kind of forest. Some forms of invading the forest in Northeast area or the edge of field are to grow crop that caused to decrease the forest a lot.
Cutting wood for sell or to make the charcoal and fire wood. This is the important action for the poor, and it is the only energy source in rural area, but this is a real reason that destroyed the forest, too.
The needs for construction. Now Cambodia is in the period of rebuilding and wood is the most important raw material. The small cottage which built in 1979 is changed to be the Khmer-style house. This construction caused to cut the big tree too much in the forest.
Cutting wood widely and illegally for export to foreign country, especially Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. It is a big reason that damaged the forest in Cambodia seriously.
IV. The Introduction the Strategy to Prevent the Forest in Cambodia
Over 100 years ago most of forest in Cambodia was destroyed regretfully. According to this situation, the experts of forest tried to find the solutions to rescue our beautiful forest. Nowadays they introduce some strategies to prevent our forest such as:
Recreate the Forest Institute to prepare a definite inventory of natural resource in Cambodia to encourage the research of Agro- Forestry and reforestation.
Begin the program of research and broadcast widely about technique of saving fire wood, charcoal and the source alternative the energy.
Push and encourage the program of growing tree at village and people’s house, especially tree that can grow quickly and can be used for many kinds.
Approve the strict law of forestry and organize the group of people to control the practice this law.
Introduce people about the advantage of forest and join to prevent it together.
Create the industry of wood transforming to avoid exporting the circle wood and export only the cutting wood. Every commence agreement about wood subsistence must has special point of growing the tree again after cutting tree down.
In conclusion, in Cambodia forest is really advantageous for Cambodian’s living and other wild animal, too. But we used it in the wrong way that decreases our forest to be smaller and smaller. Although the forest was destroyed a lot, the left forest is still able to give us a lot of benefits. Therefore, we should know about special quality of forest, stop cutting trees widely and illegally, and join together to prevent our wonderful forest and to grow it again. Moreover, today many organisation with the cooperation with government can be seen doing their best to protect forest in Cambodia with limited ability in forest protection and conservation. Finally, I hope in the future our countrymen will pay attention more to our sad forest and rescue it to be the wonderful forest in Cambodia as before 1900 again.
By: POK Panhavuth
