Cambodia to Propose 5 Natural Areas as UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Cambodia to Propose 5 Natural Areas as UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Preparations by the Ministry of Environment and relevant ministries are underway for the submission of a list containing five natural sites in Cambodia, which are targeted to make UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Environment Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra yesterday identified the five protected areas as Phnom Tbeng Natural Heritage Park, Prek Kampi Mekong River Dolphin Management and Protected Area, Phnom Nam Lear Rock located in Phnom Nam Lear Wildlife Sanctuary, Prek Prasab Wildlife Sanctuary and Southern Cardamom National Park.

“According to the inter-ministerial meeting, UNESCO representatives and stakeholders, as of Friday, have not yet made any decision. So, we need to prepare more detailed documents and conduct more meetings about the proposed list to identify which areas need to be prioritized for UNESCO’s consideration,” said Mr. Pheaktra.

This, he said, is the first time Cambodia has considered submitting a list of its natural protected areas to be candidates for the World Heritage List.

“If the proposal is approved, we will reap several benefits, including increased protection and preservation of the sites as well as international recognition of the environmental, cultural and historical values of those areas,” he said.

Cambodia currently has nine cultural heritage sites registered under UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Among these are the Angkor Wat, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992, the Royal Ballet (2003) and Khmer shadow theatre Lakhon Sbek Thom (2005).