The Ministry of Environment and the Kampot provincial administration have inaugurated a 16m bird observation tower to support tourism and research into bird species in the Anlung Pring Protected Landscape in Kampong Trach district, Kampot province.
The April 11 inauguration ceremony was attended by ministry secretary of state Neth Pheaktra and Kampot provincial deputy governor Ney Kung, along with representatives of several conservation organisations and communities in Boeung Sala Kang Tbong and Prek Kroes communes.
The ministry announced that the tower was built with the use of carbon credit funding.
“The Ministry is building these towers to further protect and conserve natural resources, and they will also attract tourists from near and far to come and watch the birds. These towers make an important contribution to tourist development, which in turn helps to sustain local communities and the national economy,” said Pheaktra.
“We have built seven of these structures across the Kingdom, with three more under construction,” he explained.
The Anlung Pring Protected Landscape is one of four protected areas in Kampot province. The area covers 217ha, and includes three villages – Chres, Koh Chamkar and Koh Tnaot.
The area aims to care for, protect and conserve natural resources, ecosystem, cultures and biodiversity. In particular, it provides a perfect habitat for rare sarus cranes and 93 other species of bird.
“The endangered cranes are present from December until May each season. This year, we conducted a census and counted 103 sarus cranes, an increase of six over last season’s figures,” added Pheaktra.
Kung agreed with Pheaktra’s sentiment, saying that the tower would attract tourists and help to develop conservation in the area.
“The Anlung Pring Protected Landscape is rich in natural resources and all kinds of species of precious birds,” he added.
