NGO Representatives Meet Environment Minister on National Adaptation Plan

Wednesday January 28th, 2015
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Meeting with MoE Jan2015 1

Meeting with MoE Jan2015 1

Phnom Penh, January 28, 2015: The NGO Environment and Climate Change Alliance (NECA) Steering Committee members, including the NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF), the Peace and Development Aid Organization (PDAO), Action For Development (AFD), Tekdeysovanphum Organization (TSDP), Kampuchea Women’s Welfare Action (KWWA), National Adaptation Program of Action to Climate Change (NAPA), and Cambodia’s Media Forum on Environment (CMFE) attended meeting at the Ministry of Environment (MoE) chaired by H.E Say Sam Al, Minister of Environment Ministry.

The meeting focused on various objectives:

  1. The results of regional workshop on national adaptation plan
  2. An introduction of the NECA members
  3. An update of achievements of NECA and NGOF on the Environment and Climate Change sectors and
  4. The further collaboration plans between both parties

The surveys on the impact of Climate Change on Cambodia, particularly on rainfall were highlighted to the NECA Committee by the Minister. A lack of rainfall and the other forms of precipitation will one of the most critical factors to determine the overall impact of Cambodian’s Climate Change.

The half day meeting has produced vital positive results from the NGOs sector and MoE:

  1. MoE is going to organize the public conference on Climate Change, and another workshop, in which related NGOs will be called to be partners, to collect inputs and feedbacks to produce policy recommendations
  2. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) draft law, which is in the developmental progress, is expected to be finalized within the next few months and sent to CSOs/NGOs for feedback
  3. MoE is, presently, working on Economic Land Concession (ELC) mapping with Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, and it will be circulated to NGOF once it is finalized. MoE is support the regular weather forecasting survey, as farmers will benefit from this issue and
  4. MoE is welcomes the agreement on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NGOF and MoE for advance cooperation in terms of environmental issues

“There are outcomes from this meeting, as our work is being recognized by the MoE, and both sides are ready to open the doors for more opportunities to learn and to work together in order to address environmental issues, especially, Climate Change in Cambodia. We are now waiting for the final version of the EIA and ELC mapping for feedback, and we hope our recommendation will be considered and to insert into legislation,” said Mr. Tek Vannara, NGOF’s ED.