The Kingdom is hosting the 4th National Orchid Forum alongside an exhibition and distribution of seedlings under the theme “Green Shoots,” during which over one million seedlings will be distributed across the nation. Speaking at the Press Conference on Dissemination and Seedling Distribution Exhibition on “Green Sprouts” held at the Ministry yesterday, Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth vowed to increase forest cover through various initiatives, which include tree planting, combined with strict measures to prevent deforestation and other illegal activities. This six-day event will run from July 10-16 in front of the Ministry and simultaneously at provincial environmental offices.

The exhibition will feature 25 mobile display booths, which after two days in Phnom Penh will travel to the provinces for four additional days. “If our activities are successful, in subsequent years we will host these events in the provinces,” he said. Sophalleth noted that the campaign will take five years to implement in its entirety, and he urged people to join the Ministry to make the event a success.

“We haven’t spent any state budget for our campaign,” he added, noting that development partners and the generosity of the public have supported many of the Ministry’s campaigns. It announced a campaign on October 10 last year to plant at least one million trees annually. The initiative encourages and actively supports the 25 capital and provincial environment departments i.