Cambodia's Protected Areas

Cambodia pioneered the creation of protected areas in Southeast Asia in 1925 by setting aside the Angkor temple complex and surrounding areas for protection. In 1993, a Royal Decree established a national system comprising 23 protected areas classified under four major categories: National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Protected Landscapes, and Multiple Use Areas. The Department of Nature Conservation and Protection under the Ministry of Environment has the responsibility for overseeing these 23 protected areas and 3 Ramsar sites, two of which are contained within the 23 protected areas. Combined, all of these areas cover 32,289 km². In addition to these areas, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has set aside a number of areas for biodiversity conservation, forest protection, genetic conservation, and wildlife habitat protection. Together, these areas represent an additional 14,860 square kilometres under intentional protection. The country’s entire system of protected areas covers 47,845 km², or about 26.3% of Cambodia’s land territory.

Situated at the heart of Indochina, Cambodia covers an area of 181,038 square kilometres. Within its borders is the majority of the Lower Mekong Dry Forests Ecoregion – identified by WWF as one of the “Global 200 Ecoregions” - the most biologically outstanding terrestrial and aquatic habitats in the world. The Cardamom Mountains ecoregion in the southwest of the country represents one of the largest continuous and relatively intact rainforests in mainland South East Asia and is protected by one of the most extensive protected area complexes in the region, made up of the Phnom Samkos and Phnom Aural wildlife sanctuaries and the Central Cardamom Mountains Protected Forest. The Annamite Range Moist Forests and Mekong River Ecoregions also have significant representation in Cambodia. Virachey National Park in northeastern Cambodia is one of the top priority areas for conservation in Southeast Asia, protecting flora and fauna of international conservation priority. The streams from the mountains of Virachey National Park contribute significantly to the flow of the Mekong river.

Several important flagship species such as the Asian elephant, tiger, banteng, and wild water buffalo occur in significant numbers in Cambodia, as do more species of globally threatened mammals, birds, and fish per unit area than in any other Southeast Asian country. Although Cambodia’s forests and coastal areas are some of the least disturbed in the region, nearly half of the 70 species of terrestrial mammals recorded for Cambodia have been listed by IUCN as globally threatened, near-threatened or data deficient.