Prey Lang
Protected area
Part of the Prey Lang Forest is covered by Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, first created in 2016.
Indigenous communities
Prey Lang plays a central role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Cambodia. Around 200,000 people, mostly members of the indigenous Kuy people, live in districts surrounding Prey Lang, a name which means "Our Forest" in the Kuy language. Prey Lang is an intricate part of their culture and spiritual life and they have depended upon it for generations, collecting resin, building materials, medicine, and food from the forest. Another 700,000 people live within 10 kilometers from Prey Lang, for whom the forest is essential as well.
Deforestation
Prey Lang is under threat from a variety of sources which have put short-sighted economic interests ahead of a nation's long-term well-being. Agribusiness plantations and mining operations are cutting away at the forest, including sensitive core areas. Illegal logging for timber, including luxury wood, is rampant, depriving communities of the resin trees they depend on. It is estimated that up to 250,000 resin trees have been lost to chainsaws. Illegal mining for precious metals and iron ore has also been on the increase, displacing artisanal, environmentally friendly operations. Toxic chemicals are being dumped into Prey Lang waterways, upsetting the area's delicate ecological balance and endangering downstream communities. In addition, new roads are cutting into important and sensitive areas of the forest, and making it easier for unscrupulous actors to illegally clear forest, transport timber, and engage in poaching.
Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary
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References
- ^ "'Avatars' Fight to Save Forest".
- ^ "Fighting to save Cambodia's Prey Lang forest | DW | 21.03.2013".
- ^ "Fighting to save Cambodia's Prey Lang forest | DW | 21.03.2013".
- ^ "Prey Lang: A Forest on the Brink of Destruction (PHOTOS)". HuffPost. 20 May 2012.
- ^ "Sub-Decree No. 74 on establishment of Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary - OD Mekong Datahub". data.opendevelopmentcambodia.net. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ^ Forest crime 'rife' at Prey Lang
- ^ Report outlines Prey Lang loggers
- ^ Mineral exploration permits offered for protected Prey Lang
- ^ Illegal logging still rampant in four provinces: PLCN
- ^ Illegal logging persists in Cambodia's Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary: Report