TURE, OUR LIFE
Mother Nature is a leading Cambodian environmental grassroots movement fighting to put an end, through direct yet peaceful means, to the systematic destruction of Koh Kong’s precious natural resources. Though this south-western province still boasts the country’s best jungles, mangrove forests, and rivers, the last few years have seen a dramatic increase in pressure against these unique ecosystems. Logging of rare kinds of timber, anarchic sand mining, destruction of entire national parks, overfishing, etc, are all taking place unabated, under the disguise of ‘development’, ‘poverty reduction’, ‘job creation’, etc. In most cases, these crimes against are being committed with the outright connivance and support of rogue elements of the provincial and central governments.
- Click here to read more about our mission and principles.
We are currently engaged in two campaigns;
1) “Saving the Areng Valley“, which has so far managed to stop the world’s largest hydro dam company from destroying one of the nation’s most precious natural assets, the Areng Valley. Mother Nature’s brave activists, together with the indigenous people of the valley, have managed to coordinate a campaign seldom seen before: one in which millions are informed; communities are empowered and brave enough to actively say no; and, above-all, inspiring countless others to become environmental
activists themselves. Although Cambodia’s Prime Minister declared in
February this year that the dam would not be built as long as he is
the leader of the government, threats against Mother Nature
activists and the communities persist. Ven Vorn, leader of the
indigenous communities of the Areng Valley, was sent to jail on the
seventh of October 2015 , a move by the provincial authorities
aimed at intimidating and breaking down the spirits of the entire
community of the Areng Valley;
- Read more about the campaign by clicking here.
- To see a compilation of newspaper and media articles
on this unique campaign, click here;
2) “Saving Koh Kong’s Mangroves“, a campaign aimed at stopping, once and for all, the indiscriminate and illegal sand dredging that has been happening across Koh Kong’s estuaries / mangroves for over seven years; The entire coastline of our beloved province has been mined for sand, causing massive ecological damage to these unique eco-systems and destroying the livelihoods of local fishing communities, who have seen fish stocks decimated. Three of our activists involved in the anti sand mining campaign are now in jail, awaiting their trial and facing up to two years behind bars. Their ‘crime’: standing up against this systematic destruction and defending the rights of those who are most vulnerable.