Yujiro Ogawa
Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer (Japan)
(Aug. 9, 2006)
"Cambodia's Angkor monuments are fantastic in dense forests and are a quintessential feature of Khmer civilization, but the forests around the monuments had been drastically reduced," said Michio Watanabe, who is working hard to help those forests recover.
Statistics show the forests around the Angkor monuments have decreased from 300 hectares to 17 hectares during the period between 1964 and 2004.
Watanabe, 40, first became involved with the Angkor monuments when he helped with the basic regional planning for the area as a chief researcher of the International Development Center of Japan. Although the project was completed in February, he wanted to see the results and began working on the reforestation of the area as a volunteer.
"The effects of the former Pol Pot government's tyranny still remain and people are poor. As the roads around the monuments have not been paved, dust is rising in the dry season. I think recovering dense forests may help promote sustainable tourism of the monuments," Watanabe explained.
The reforestation project began in June with the cooperation of a local nongovernmental organization and will last for three years. The goal is to plant about 1,600 native broadleaf trees along roads, as well as 300 mango and coconut trees in orchards and school grounds to provide cash income for local people.
The project will cost 6 million yen, which includes the publishing of an illustrated book on the importance of environmental preservation. Watanabe hopes to raise money from people who approve of his project.
Statistics show the forests around the Angkor monuments have decreased from 300 hectares to 17 hectares during the period between 1964 and 2004.
Watanabe, 40, first became involved with the Angkor monuments when he helped with the basic regional planning for the area as a chief researcher of the International Development Center of Japan. Although the project was completed in February, he wanted to see the results and began working on the reforestation of the area as a volunteer.
"The effects of the former Pol Pot government's tyranny still remain and people are poor. As the roads around the monuments have not been paved, dust is rising in the dry season. I think recovering dense forests may help promote sustainable tourism of the monuments," Watanabe explained.
The reforestation project began in June with the cooperation of a local nongovernmental organization and will last for three years. The goal is to plant about 1,600 native broadleaf trees along roads, as well as 300 mango and coconut trees in orchards and school grounds to provide cash income for local people.
The project will cost 6 million yen, which includes the publishing of an illustrated book on the importance of environmental preservation. Watanabe hopes to raise money from people who approve of his project.
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