Synopsis: Environmental protection, natural resource management and ecotourism projects feature in an expanded partnership between the government and World Bank representatives.
The Ministry of Environment and the World Bank have agreed to expand cooperation on environmental protection, natural resource management and green tourism development to support local economic growth and livelihoods.
Environment Minister Eang Sophalleth met World Bank country manager for Cambodia Tania Meyer and Jean-Dominique Bescond, senior natural resources management and blue economy specialist at the World Bank and team leader of the Cambodia Sustainable Landscape and Ecotourism Project (CSLEP), in Phnom Penh on Wednesday to discuss cooperation and support for the environmental sector.
The ministry said Meyer commended its efforts to implement the Circular Strategy on Environment 2023–2028, a five-year roadmap launched in 2023 that focuses on three priorities: clean, green and sustainable.
Meyer said the World Bank remains committed to supporting Cambodia in environmental management, reducing plastic pollution and responding to climate change.
Bescond said continued close cooperation with the ministry’s technical team under the CSLEP is needed to improve natural resource management and community livelihood development in protected areas.
Sophalleth thanked the World Bank for its role as a development partner and for providing technical and financial support to Cambodia.
He said progress under the CSLEP contributes to protecting forest cover and biodiversity while supporting the development of green recreation destinations that create employment opportunities and increase incomes for local communities.
The two sides agreed to advance the CSLEP, including the construction of a road to Khnang Phsar, a recreation destination in the Cardamom Mountains National Park in Kampong Speu province.
The project is expected to contribute to improving local livelihoods while supporting the protection of natural resources.
In line with directions from Prime Minister Hun Manet, the Environment Ministry will develop infrastructure to transform green recreation destinations in the national park into an ecotourism corridor.
The ministry will also continue studying and developing an approximately 10-kilometre route connecting Khnang Phsar with the Chi Phat area in Thma Bang district, Koh Kong province.
The proposed tourism route would allow visitors to explore natural landscapes and waterfalls, while helping develop the area into a tourism economic hub.
The ministry said the initiative helps improve community livelihoods and strengthen forest protection, while the World Bank conducts studies and provides support for the projects.
In May, Cambodia was ranked the world’s top country for natural environment in 2026 by US News & World Report, which assessed countries based on environmental governance, air quality, natural resource management and biodiversity conservation.
