Environment minister Eang Sophalleth addresses the opening of a consultation workshop on a draft strategic environmental assessment for sand mining businesses on February 25. Environment ministry
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) agreements between the Ministry of Environment and private companies will be finalised within just one week from now on, providing the company follows ministry guidelines and submits sufficient documentation.
Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth announced the new turnaround policy during a consultation workshop on the draft policy regarding a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of sand mining businesses along the Mekong River, held on February 25.
His statement was in response to recent concerns about past delays in the EIA process.
“It’s true that some have been late, but some have also had quick turnarounds. I issued a new policy recently, perhaps a month ago. The agreement must be finalised within one week. We will give the agreement within a week, but the company must comply with the policies set out by the ministry. We have our principles: this must be done, that must be done. I’ll sign it, but the company must follow our guidelines,” he said.
He explained that the process has three levels: the first is the agreement signing, the second is the “preliminary” EIA and the third is the “full or complete” EIA.
“The lateness occurs because sometimes companies cannot send their documents from abroad to Cambodia within a week. Is this because of the ministry or them? Both sides have a part to play. We cannot make a sound by clapping one hand; both must be involved,” he said.
“Under our new policy, if the necessary documents are provided, the agreement must be given within one week. If they are not sufficient, I’m sorry, I can’t proceed,” he added.
Similarly, preliminary EIAs will be issued within three months, again, provided that the ministry’s requirements are met.
The minister highlighted the importance of conducting environmental impact assessments.
“If we do something without assessing the environmental impact, we won’t know how what we do will affect the environment,” he explained.
Cambodia has set a Circular Strategy on Environment with three key focuses: Cleanliness, Greenness and Sustainability. Cleanliness refers to the cleanliness of the air, land and water.
After an EIA is conducted, the ministry will advise the company on how to mitigate the identified impacts to avoid negative effects on society and public health.
The minister stressed that Cambodia aims for investments that bring sustainability – both in the investments themselves and the jobs created for the people.
“We don’t want investments that pollute the environment and lack sustainability for our society and economy,” he explained.
He noted that the consultation workshop on an SEA for sand mining is essential, adding that it serves as a comprehensive study to determine how Cambodia can approach sand mining in a way that doesn’t harm the Mekong River or its communities.
Specifically, the goal is to maintain the long-term sustainability of the Mekong River.
However, the Ministry’s work does not cover the Mekong River Commission or other institutions.
“The strategic environmental assessment for the Mekong River is the first model we’re working on, and we will continue to conduct SEA for six sectors,” continued the minister.
These sectors include industry, energy, agriculture, forestry and land use, chemicals and waste.
All of them must have a clear SEA. Without this, Cambodia cannot succeed in moving toward a carbon-neutral future by 2050.
“According to the UN principles, we must act to reduce emissions and environmental impact in these six sectors. Yes, we will proceed with developing the strategic environmental assessments. Once the studies of these six sectors are complete, we will integrate them into Cambodia’s national-level environmental impact assessment strategy,” noted Sophalleth.
