On 10 May, 350 participants joined an event on "Protecting Insects: Protecting the Birds" at Kandieng High School, in Pursat Province, Cambodia. The event aimed to promote the protection of habitat for migratory birds, which pass through Cambodia as part of the East Asian Australasian Flyway.
"This World Migratory Bird Day event not only demonstrates the government's commitment to managing, protecting, and conserving wetlands and migratory birds but also provides a valuable opportunity for all participants to promote environmental work and foster a love for nature and birds,” said Mr Hong Chamnan, Director of the Department of Freshwater Wetlands Conservation, who chaired the event.
Pursat province hosts a range of wetlands, supporting migratory birds that travel across the flyway, which extends from Arctic Russia and North America to the southern parts of Australia and New Zealand. During these migrations, birds are at increased risk from threats such as hunting and have increasingly limited feeding and roosting grounds due to illegal encroachment on protected natural areas. The event provided an opportunity for national and local authorities and communities to strengthen cooperation to address these challenges.
Organised by the Department of Freshwater Wetlands Conservation of the General Directorate of Natural Protected Areas, Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Pursat Provincial Administration, the event provided an opportunity for participants – from the Department of Freshwater Wetlands Conservation, Pursat Provincial Department of Environment, NGOs, protected area rangers, teachers, and students – to strengthen their understanding of key feeding sources for birds, especially insects, which are important food for migratory birds.