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The government is looking at ways to tackle Cambodia’s waste problem with a $1 charge on airline tickets touted to raise the cash.

The move comes after footage emerged showing the capital’s canals remain clogged with rubbish a year after video of the pollution was shown around the world.
More damning evidence of waste mishandling surfaced during the Water Festival, with a video of street-cleaning contractors sweeping rubbish into the Tonle Sap river.

Now, the Environment Ministry wants to take $1 from every air ticket bought in Cambodia to go towards maintaining the environment.
Environment Minister Say Samal said income generated will help to reduce the burden on the government.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/38619/ ... -cambodia/

Yep, because all the people who fly into and out of Cambodia are the ones polluting the water streams, and that should teach them a lesson. </sarcasm>

Unless you are paying a dollar to go down the Sap and scoop some shite out yourself I fail to see how this will fix things. Given the aforementioned habit of cleaning crews just to chuck it in the river themselves. Surely some sort of scoop and people to wield it is the solution.

That's so ridiculous, and won't do anything to alleviate the issue. How about doing something like they did in Thailand in the 1950s, where the King led a campaign to inspire the citizens to take a bit of care about their surroundings?

Exactly. I saw this article on Facebook last night and laughed out loud. Some of the ideas these ministries come up with are so ludicrous it reminds you that many aren't exactly educated or have much experience in their respective ministries. It always makes me laugh when they put up signs in English at places like Teuk Chou in Kampot or Busra in Mondulkiri. As if foreign tourists were responsible for the littering problem (well maybe having a sign in Chinese wouldn't hurt). Even if they clean it up it'll never stop until they launch a proper country-wide education campaign like John says. Collecting a dollar per flight sounds more like a Range Rover fund than anything that aims at seriously tackling the core issues. You'd think with the insane import taxes currently in place they'd have enough money in the coffers to address the issue...

Well at least they are not copying the rules in our western countries where extra money is collected by a extra tax on ciggies .

how about a 10% tax on water bottles and anything sold in Plastic as 99% of them end upon the street, in the canals

I think the tax on plastic had already been implemented as of Jan 1st. No small bags and minimum thickness.

if they keep putting the price up nobody will go.

An observation.

Just returned from a weeks get-away in Kuala Lumpur, a city of 2 mil. give or take.
I was truly amazed at how clean & well kept the city as a whole was. I took 3 drive around tours over 3 days. Green spaces everywhere, excellent road system, excellent public transit system.
But what struck me most was the cleanliness of everything everwhere we looked. What a contrast to anywhere Cambodia. The last afternoon as
I sat in a coffee stop watching the world pass by a small child of 8-9-10 threw a tissue on the ground while crossing the street. Immediately her guardian made her retrieve & place in trash receptacle. It struck me then that the problem is the majority of Cambodian's do not see it as a problem. Until that changes nothing will.

Wasn't until we were in cab to SHV I realized what a shit hole this place really is.

Also I would like to add that was our first visit to a predominately Muslim nation. You would have to look far & wide to find a more generous, kind & helpful non judgemental people. Everywhere we went we were met with smiles & anytime I asked for directions or help in anyway we were treated warmly.
Am currently re-thinking a few mass media induced prejudices.