Cambodia Grants Land and Homes to 538 Landless Families Under Forest Conservation Program

The Cambodian government has decided to grant land and housing to 538 landless poor families as part of a forest conservation and sustainable development program. This initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister Hun Manet, aims to enhance the sustainable protection and conservation of natural resources and improve the efficiency of state land utilization. The beneficiaries are genuinely poor individuals residing in the communes of Stung Sadou and Sam Khuy in Sesan district, Stung Treng province, who lack land for housing. Each selected family will receive a plot of 3 hectares and a house. A lottery for the land and housing was conducted on July 27 and was broadcast live on national television. The government has urged the fortunate families to prepare for relocation to their new residences and to finalize the contract for the handover of land and housing in the near future. Moving forward, the government plans to facilitate the official establishment of these new settlements as villages, construct schools, health centers, and community markets, create employment opportunities, and develop markets for agricultural products. Support will also be provided for initial living expenses and investment attraction to improve the livelihoods of the relocated residents. This program seeks to balance poverty reduction with sustainable development. Source: Kampuchea Thmey Local