KAMPOT, Cambodia, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Saturday marked the forest day, aimed at encouraging tree planting and protection in order to increase the forest cover to 60 percent by 2015.
This year’s observance was held in Kampot province, some 150 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh under the presidency of the King Norodom Sihamoni; it was also attended by top officials of the government, the parliament, the senate, relevant non-governmental organization and thousands of locals and students.
Speaking during the event, the King said that forest is the life of all human-beings, animals and biodiversity on earth and it helps to prevent soil erosion.
“On this occasion, I would like to appeal to people in all walks of life to join force to re-plant trees in order to ensure the sustainability of forest and environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, he had planted six species of trees in the community’s protected land of 25 hectares in Kampot’s Angkor Chey district as the symbol to mark the Arbor Day, 2011.
The report of the Forestry Administration showed that by 2010, forest cover in Cambodia is 103,398 square kilometers, or 57 percent of Cambodia’s land.
According to the Millennium Development Goal, to ensure a stable and balanced environment in Cambodia, the country needs to achieve the target of 60 percent of forest cover by 2015.
Cambodia’s forest cover stood at 73 percent in 1970s, but over-logging has decreased it since then.
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