... but what will that mean in reality ? Cambodians will find out this week when the finalized draft of the legislation is made available for public viewing.

Hopes, Doubts as Environmental Code Finalized
by Aisha Down | January 2, 2017

The new Environmental Code, a sweeping piece of legislation that is set to overhaul how protected and communal land are governed and give unprecedented control to the Environment Ministry, was finalized on Sunday and will be released to the public this week, those involved in drafting it said.

Environment Minister Say Sam Al, who must sign the code before it is sent to the Council of Ministers for review, has said the new law, complete with its own courts for environmental disputes, is nothing short of revolutionary—a vision shared by the lawyers who have been working on it.

Under the code, some 40 percent of Cambodia’s land is put under the control of the Ministry of Environment. All of that land, as the law stands, is eligible to be jointly controlled by local authorities and the communities who depend on it for their livelihoods.

Many of those who would be most affected by the law remain doubtful about how much change it will bring, and whether it will offer them any land security at all...
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hope ... ed-122820/

The takeaway from my chair:

''give unprecedented control to the Environment Ministry,

''complete with its own courts

''a vision shared by the lawyers

''40 percent of Cambodia’s land is put under the control of the Ministry

We're with the government. We're to help you.

Public input into new environmental code ends as budget questions remain unanswered
23 March 2018
The Ministry of Environment is on its way to finalising its highly ambitious environmental code, although budget discussions and the cost to implement the law are still to be decided, and many forest communities have not yet had a chance to weigh in on the changes.

A public workshop on Thursday was the last opportunity to receive comments from all those with an interest in the plan and its implementation, said Brian Rohan, a legal adviser at the Vishnu Law Group, which has assisted the ministry in revising several drafts of the environmental code since 2015.

Feedback received will be analysed and “incorporated as appropriate” into the final draft, which will be the 11th revision to the document. Officials hope to complete the final version by April 12, Rohan said. It will then go to the Environment Ministry, which will present it to the Council of Ministers.

But while there have been several consultation workshops and planning behind the development of the environmental code, no talks about potential budget allocation have taken place, Rohan said.

Asked about an estimated figure, he said: “I couldn’t even give you a guess.”
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... unanswered