Pursat Province : The Cardamom Mountains

The Cardamom Mountains cover an area of ​​1.5 million hectares in southwestern Cambodia. The forests in the Cardamom Mountains are an important natural barrier in Cambodia, absorbing the most carbon in Asia and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, according to the Ministry of Environment on March 23, 2021, the Cardamom Mountains are the last remaining great rainforest in Southeast Asia. The Cardamom Mountains are named after a plant that grows in the mountains, the cardamom tree. According to the book I Want to Know by SIPA, titled “Understanding Southern and Coastal Cambodia,” the Cardamom Mountains stretch from Pailin to Kampot province, along the coast. This long, densely forested mountain range is rich in small and large animals, steep cliffs, and high peaks, averaging 1,000 meters high, that form a wall between the central plains and the coastal areas.

In the southern part of the Aural Mountains, there is the Kirirom Plateau, which is rich in beautiful pine trees. Beyond the Pich Nil Pass, the Elephant Range stretches from north to south to the sea, and at the end, there is the slope of Bokor Mountain. The Cardamom Range is rich in forests and beautiful waterfalls, which can make this area a potential tourist destination. In addition, there are many types of wildlife such as elephants, tigers, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, birds and insects, etc. In addition, there are many mineral deposits and marbles for carving as ornaments. Due to the lack of transportation, this area is not very populated and has received little research. However, the Ministry of Environment and the Wildlife Alliance have worked well with authorities at all levels to work together to protect and conserve, maintain ecological quality, increase green cover, and live sustainably in the context of climate change.

In addition, the Ministry of Environment has also collaborated to implement the REDD+ program with partners to sell carbon for sustainable living and to provide more opportunities for protected area communities to consider the environment and conserve natural resources and biodiversity under the slogan "Keeping forests standing for a prosperous future."