"Prey Lang group receives award", 25 June 2019

The Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) has received the prestigious 2019 Energy Globe Award, a group representative said ... The awards are known as “Nature’s Nobel Prize”.

Ek Sovanna, a PLCN representative in Kratie province, told … that PLCN had won a National Energy Globe Award … for its environmental protection efforts in Cambodia.

The Energy Globe Awards are one of the most prestigious environmental prizes worldwide, with winners selected by a jury made up of members from the UN Industrial Development Organisation, the World Bank and the European Renewable Energy Council.

“We are delighted to win this National Energy Globe Award,” Sovanna said…

PLCN is a network of local community members working to protect Prey Lang forest from illegal logging. The network patrols the forest and records illegal logging and the removal of valuable resources, reporting its findings to policymakers and the public.

The group is known for taking a bold stance against authorities, often criticising them for their inaction on protecting the environment.

Most recently, in March this year, the group issued a report saying that 152 forestry crimes were committed in January in Prey Lang forest’s four provinces – Kampong Thom, Kratie, Preah Vihear and Stung Treng – the third highest number recorded since 2015.

… Stung Treng provincial environment department deputy director Lay Laro told … that the report was false. He said forestry crimes had reduced as a result of cooperation between environment department officers and other NGOs who protect and patrol the area.