On May 22, we mark the International Day for Biological Diversity with a global theme — ‘In Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development’ — that demands both clarity and courage. In Cambodia, where some of Southeast Asia’s last remaining lowland forests shelter endangered species and sustain indigenous livelihoods, this theme could not be more relevant—or more urgent.

In December 2022, the world agreed on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a plan with 23 targets for 2030 and 5 goals for 2050 to reverse nature loss. Key goals include restoring 20 percent of degraded ecosystems and halving invasive species. This International Day for Biological Diversity emphasizes the Framework's link to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stressing their interconnectedness and the urgent need for action, with only five years left to meet 2030 targets for both.

Biodiversity isn't a luxury for Cambodia and it's the very foundation of its well-being. Just as infrastructure supports a nation, Cambodia's natural ecosystems provide essential services: forests purify water and stabilize rainfall, bees and insects ensure crop production, and mangroves protect coastlines from destructive storms. Furthermore, medicinal plants and wild foods are integral to rural health and cultural identity. This intricate network of life – the nation's true wealth – delivers vital and irreplaceable benefits.

Yet Cambodia today faces a biodiversity emergency. From Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in the north to Preah Roka Forest near the Lao border, illegal logging and land concessions continue to erode vital ecosystems—often with the tacit approval or outright denial of the very officials tasked with protecting them.

In just two decades, nearly 24 percent of Prey Lang’s forest cover has disappeared, and efforts by indigenous and youth environmental defenders to document the damage are increasingly met with threats, surveillance, and repression. Most recently, Ouk Mao, an environmental journalist and long-time forest monitor, was arrested in early May after photographing loggers inside Prey Lang. His detention is not an isolated incident—it is part of a broader effort to silence those who bear witness to environmental destruction.

This pattern of silencing extends to other dedicated environmental advocates. The recent conviction and imprisonment of ten Mother Nature Cambodia activists in July 2024, followed by the Supreme Court's denial of bail to five of them in April 2025, underscores the perilous environment for those who dare to expose environmental crimes. Their activism, which included documenting pollution, was met with severe charges of “plotting against the government”, highlighting the government's intolerance towards independent environmental monitoring and advocacy.

As authorities push for infrastructure and agricultural expansion, biodiversity is treated not as a national asset but as an obstacle. This perception overlooks the foundational role ecosystems play in enabling long-term development.

Without biodiversity, the systems that support life and livelihoods unravel. Roads buckle under floods that forests once absorbed. Crops fail when pollinators vanish and soil health deteriorates. Health systems strain under the weight of new infectious diseases emerging from degraded habitats. Rural economies falter as forest products disappear, and tourism declines as landscapes lose their richness. Development built on biodiversity loss is not progress—it is a fragile illusion, increasingly vulnerable to collapse.

Biodiversity and Planetary Health

Cambodia’s biodiversity crisis is not just a national issue—it’s part of a global breakdown. The concept of planetary health, which recognizes the interdependence between human well-being and the environment, makes this clear. When forests are destroyed and species disappear, the risks ripple out.

Public health is the first to suffer when ecosystems break down. Healthy, diverse ecosystems serve as natural barriers against disease. But when these systems collapse, humans and wildlife are pushed into closer contact, increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases—those that jump from animals to people—as we saw with COVID-19. In Cambodia, rapid deforestation and the growing intersection of rural and urban areas heighten the risk of becoming a hotspot for the next outbreak.

Food security is also on the line. Rural Cambodians rely not only on rice and farmed vegetables but also on wild fish, mushrooms, forest fruits, and edible insects. These are vital sources of protein and micronutrients, particularly for poor households. As biodiversity declines, these natural safety nets fray—and with them, resilience to economic shocks and climate stress.

Climate stability is intimately tied to biodiversity. Forests help cool the air, trap carbon, prevent erosion, and regulate rainfall. Destroying them accelerates global warming, intensifies floods and droughts, and disturbs regional climate patterns. We are already living with the consequences.

Even our most basic needs—clean water, breathable air, fertile soil—depend on functioning ecosystems. Once biodiversity is lost, these systems falter. And restoring them, if possible at all, is slow and painfully expensive.

What Living in Harmony with Nature Looks Like

There is another path—one already being walked across Cambodia. A quieter, more sustainable model of development is taking root—patiently, persistently, and too often without recognition.

In Mondulkiri, Bunong families protect elephant corridors while earning livelihoods through community-based ecotourism. In Kampong Thom, resin tappers harvest tree sap without felling the trees, passing on their knowledge through generations. Along the Tonle Sap, some fishing communities are working to conserve flooded forests—not for profit, but to safeguard their way of life.

These are not isolated anecdotes. They are living proof that an alternative exists. They illustrate how development and biodiversity can be mutually reinforcing, rather than mutually exclusive.

Imagine a Cambodia where indigenous land rights are not just promised, but protected by law. Where young forest guardians are trained in digital mapping and climate science, blending ancestral knowledge with new tools. Where illegal logging is not ignored or denied but investigated and prosecuted in the open. Where ecological education is part of every school curriculum. Where conservation is not outsourced to donors but shared as a national responsibility, rooted in pride and stewardship.

Such a vision is not naïve—it is necessary. The International Science Council and many Cambodian conservationists have long argued that true development must expand people’s freedoms without eroding the ecological foundations of their future. In short: the economy must serve nature, not the other way around.

A Call to Act—Before It's Too Late

Cambodia now stands at a crossroads. The decisions made today will determine whether future generations inherit thriving forests and rich biodiversity—or only memories and warnings.

The country has already signaled its commitment to biodiversity protection by ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1995 and adopting a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), most recently updated in 2016. It endorsed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 and has placed biodiversity as a strategic priority through the work of the Ministry of Environment’s Department of Biodiversity.

But these commitments must go beyond words. Real progress requires aligning policies and budgets with the principles laid out in these strategies. Lip service alone will not stop deforestation, nor will it protect endangered species or indigenous rights. National action plans must be meaningfully implemented—across sectors, down to the local level—with accountability and transparency.

To chart a new course, Cambodia needs to recommit to biodiversity protection not only in name but through robust law enforcement, inclusive education, and locally led stewardship. This involves looking beyond the tree cover of forests to the full web of life: endangered species, wetlands, grasslands, rivers, and the invisible connections that sustain them all. Wildlife can no longer be viewed as commodities or tourist attractions but as essential actors in healthy ecosystems.

It is crucial to restore and protect independent efforts to monitor forests and biodiversity. Environmental defenders like Ouk Mao need both support and protection. The severe punishment of Mother Nature activists—who were hit with serious charges and long prison sentences for their environmental advocacy—underscores the risks faced by those working to safeguard Cambodia’s natural heritage. Prosecuting environmental crimes must be transparent and consistent, no matter who is involved.

Stronger protection mechanisms are crucial not only for forests, but also for species on the brink—like the giant ibis, kouprey, and Siamese crocodile—many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

Conservation, increasingly, needs to be embraced as a foundation of development. Ecological literacy across all levels of education helps prepare future leaders to safeguard the natural systems that support human life. International conservation partnerships should be grounded in equitable collaboration, not short-term project cycles, and donors cannot be expected to support conservation while local authorities obstruct it.

Cambodia's remaining forests, wetlands, and ecosystems are vital, active forces, far beyond mere scenic backdrops or biodiversity checklists. They are the lifeblood that purifies air, sequesters carbon, pollinates crops, and stabilizes our climate.

These natural treasures are the deep roots of Cambodia's cultural identity, indigenous wisdom, and the strength of its rural communities. Ultimately, they represent the nation's most powerful pathway to a secure, just, and livable future for every Cambodian.