Cambodia's Forest Protection Land Program Allocates Plots and Homes to Over 500 Families via Lottery

The Cambodian government has conducted a lottery for land plots and housing for 538 families as part of the "Forest Protection Land Program for Sustainable Development" in Sesan district, Stung Treng province. This initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister Hun Manet, aims to enhance the protection and management of natural resources and improve living standards for the poor through social land concessions. The lottery, held on July 27, 2026, was attended by representatives from relevant ministries and provincial authorities and was broadcast live on national television. Successful recipients will be allocated land plots of 3 hectares each and housing. The 538 families selected include: - 497 families chosen through the first round of the program's lottery. - 34 families who had previously illegally occupied state land in areas such as Trapeang Kokir, Trapeang Romdeng, and Ou Val Poun Damleung in Stung Treng province. These families voluntarily returned the land after acknowledging their wrongdoing and have been integrated into the program. - 7 families who were victims of riverbank collapse in Stung Trang district, Kampong Cham province. This lottery follows the first round held in July 2025, which selected 2,500 families. In total, 12,329 families applied for land under the program. The designated land for the program is located in the Ou Seav 3 area of Sesan district. Comprehensive plans for land use, infrastructure development, detailed plot allocation, and community development are being implemented. Infrastructure development, including main and secondary roads and water reservoirs, is underway, with 751 out of a planned 770 housing units and bathrooms already constructed. The program seeks to support community development and promote sustainable forest protection in the vicinity of the allocated lands by providing social land concessions to genuinely landless poor families. The government is committed to achieving both improved livelihoods and sustainable development. Source: Kampuchea Thmey Local