Cambodian King plants trees to mark Arbor Day

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday planted tree seedlings in southern Takeo Province to mark the Forest Day, which falls on Wednesday.

The event was attended by senior officials of the Government, the National Assembly, and the Senate as well as relevant stakeholders and thousands of locals and students.

Addressing the ceremony, the monarch said forest is the life of all humans, animals and biodiversity on earth and prevents soil erosion.

"On the occasion, I would like to call on our compatriots to join together to re-plant trees and maintain them so as to ensure the sustainability of forest and environment," he said.

Cambodia's forest cover stood at 73 percent in the 1970s, but over-logging has decreased it since then.

The report of the Forestry Administration showed that by 2010, forest cover in the country was 103,398 square kilometers, or 57 percent of Cambodia's land.

According to the Millennium Development Goal, to ensure a stable and balanced environment in Cambodia, the Southeast Asian nation needs to achieve the target of 60 percent of forest cover by 2015.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/140707/cambodian-king-plants-trees-mark-arbor-day