Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth and Bridgette Walker, chargé d'affaires of the US embassy, have expressed their commitment to continued cooperation on environmental issues and the promotion of “green diplomacy”, despite a US change in the direction of US foreign aid policy under the presidency of Donald Trump.

The shared commitment was reiterated as Walker paid a May 12 courtesy call on the minister. The meeting was also attended by Kerry Pelzman, head of the USAID International Development Mission in Cambodia, according to the environment ministry.

Sophalleth thanked USAID for its long-standing support in the areas of environment and societal development. He noted that the organisation’s support has contributed to raising awareness among protected area communities, as well as to the management and conservation of Cambodia’s natural resources, particularly in response to climate change.

He highlighted the kingdom’s commitment to continued efforts to protect natural resources and the environment through the three pillars of the government’s Circular Environmental Strategies: cleanliness, greenness and sustainability. Sophalleth also explained that the environment ministry’s “Today, I Will Not Use Plastic” campaign has reached more than 11 million people nationwide.

In addition, the “Clean Cambodia, Khmer Can Do” campaign has seen more than six million people commit to cleaning their homes, localities and public places, while more than 20,000 have joined in the “Garbage-Free National Roads” campaign, which aims to keep the Kingdom’s highways free of plastic garbage and other rubbish.

The ministry has also worked to keep garbage and plastic waste from entering the Tonle Sap River, introduced measures to reduce and prevent pollution in public water areas, and overseen the installation of monitoring equipment in factories.

At the same time, it launched the “Ponlork Baitong” campaign, which has seen more than 1.3 million seedlings distributed to the public for planting, in a bid to increase green cover and support Cambodia’s goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. This year, the ministry plans to distribute 3 million seedlings for planting.

The minister highlighted the need for strict measures to manage natural resources, as well as improved cooperation between local authorities and other government institutions. He added that the directors of provincial environment departments have been instructed to conduct though investigations of any natural resource crimes reported in their jurisdictions, whether by park rangers or other sources. They were encouraged to use the drones and satellite maps provided by the ministry to do so.

“Eang Sophalleth and Bridget Walker are committed to continuing their dialogue and exploring new opportunities for cooperation for the common good, especially through contributions to the protection and conservation of natural resources and the environment,” added a May 13 statement from the ministry.