Cambodia, officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east and southeast, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. The country covers an area of approximately 181,035 km² (69,898 mi²). It has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons: the wet season, which lasts from May to October, and the dry season, from November to April. The country’s climate supports many ecosystems, from dense tropical rainforests to fertile floodplains.

Cambodia’s topography is dominated by the low-lying central plains of the Mekong River, which are surrounded by upland regions and mountains. The Cardamom Mountains and the Elephant Mountains are located in the southwest, while the Dangrek Mountains form a natural border with Thailand to the northwest. The Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake, is a central feature of Cambodia’s landscape, significantly influencing its agriculture and fisheries.

	Score	Rank	Change
Total Score – NCI 2024	49	159	N/A
Land Management	62	46	N/A
Protected Areas (Terrestrial)	100	1	N/A
Ecological Representativeness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	100	1	N/A
Connectedness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	69	29	N/A
Protected Areas (Marine)	7	72	N/A
Pristine Habitat (Converted Land)	77	156	N/A
Sustainable Nitrogen Management (Soil Pollution)	59	20	N/A
Sustainable Pesticide Use	25	99	N/A
Threats to Biodiversity	60	107	N/A
Threatened Species (Terrestrial)	85	106	N/A
Threatened Species (Marine)	63	69	N/A
Threatened Species’ Coverage by Protected Areas	97	54	N/A
Species Coverage by Marine Protected Areas	86	92	N/A
Species with Declining Populations (Terrestrial)	8	150	N/A
Species with Declining Populations (Marine)	0	10	N/A
Depleted Fisheries	0	39	N/A
Fishery Pressure in the High Seas	100	20	N/A
Invasive Species Pressure	98	40	N/A
Capacity and Governance	57	137	N/A
Total Management Cost	98	59	N/A
Conservation Culturomics	33	133	N/A
Conservation Legislation	32	125	N/A
Ratification of CBD	100	1	N/A
Ratification of CITES	100	1	N/A
Political Stability and Absence of Violence	50	63	N/A
Control of Corruption	26	157	N/A
Government Effectiveness	42	107	N/A
Future Trends	17	178	N/A
Climate Change Mitigation	17	178	N/A

Four pillars elaborated:

Land Management

Cambodia has a rich diversity of wildlife and ecosystems, including rainforests, mangrove swamps, and grasslands. In order to preserve and protect these natural resources, the country has established a network of protected areas, which include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and protected landscapes. The protected areas in Cambodia cover more than 7.5 million hectares (75,000 km²), or about 41% of the country’s land area. These areas provide habitat for many endangered species, including tigers, elephants, and gibbons, as well as important ecosystem services like clean water, air, and soil. Some of the most well-known protected areas in Cambodia include the Cardamom Mountains, the Eastern Plains Landscape, and the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Threats to Biodiversity

Cambodia’s land, sea, and coastal environments confront many direct threats and indirect pressures. These include swift changes in land use, leading to deforestation for infrastructure like roads and dams and for agricultural expansion. Overexploitation of natural resources, such as overfishing and excessive logging, exacerbates the issue. Pollution from urban growth, industrial activities, and other economic ventures, alongside invasive species, further imperils these ecosystems. Climate change compounds these challenges, posing additional risks to Cambodia’s biodiversity.

Capacity and Governance

The Royal Government of Cambodia has taken significant steps to address biodiversity protection, including signing international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and ratifying the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The development of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and the National Environment Action Plan have provided frameworks for tackling threats to biodiversity, managing protected areas, and implementing conservation strategies. Additionally, agreements with organizations like Terra Global Capital aim to reduce deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions. Legislative efforts, such as the 2008 Law on Protected Areas and the ongoing development of an environmental code, further strengthen environmental protection measures.

Biodiversity conservation is also integrated into key development policies like the Rectangular Strategy Phase III and the National Strategic Development Plan 2014–2018. Efforts to address the shortage of skilled conservationists include training programs at institutions like the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Moreover, the industry’s responsibility for biodiversity is addressed through concepts like the Environmental Impact Assessment.

Future Trends

In the future, the National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) will launch the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) Project in Cambodia with technical support from UNDP. The project aims to address the global financial gap for biodiversity conservation, which ranges from USD $100 to 400 billion annually. BIOFIN will explore additional funding sources to achieve global and national biodiversity objectives. If forested ecosystems continue to diminish, Cambodia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could face a 6.6% reduction by 2050 due to climate change, as projected by the NCSD.

Cambodia will seek biodiversity financial solutions to support sustainable development and effectively achieve its national biodiversity and development objectives by 2050. Innovative financing mechanisms such as REDD+, Payments for Ecosystems Services (PES), and Conservation Trust Fund will be explored in Cambodia as part of this initiative.

Biodiversity

The tropical rainforests of Cambodia are some of the most biologically diverse areas in the region. These forests, found mainly in the Cardamom and Elephant Mountains, are home to a multitude of plant species, including numerous types of orchids, ferns, and trees like the giant dipterocarps. The forests also provide habitat for a wide array of wildlife, including the Indochinese tiger, Asian elephant, clouded leopard, and Malayan sun bear. The critically endangered Siamese crocodile and the rare Irrawaddy dolphin can also be found in Cambodia’s rivers and wetlands.

Cambodia’s coastal and marine environments, particularly around the Gulf of Thailand, are also rich in biodiversity. Mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs in this region support a diverse range of marine life, including sea turtles, dugongs, and various species of fish and invertebrates. The Koh Rong Archipelago is notable for its coral reefs and marine biodiversity, attracting divers and researchers alike.

In the table below are the number of known species in several main groups, how many of these species are Threatened with extinction, and how many of them are Endemic (unique to Cambodia only):

	Species (World rank)	Threatened	% Threatened	Endemic	% Endemic
Mammals	203 (#57)	39	19.2%	1	0.5%
Birds	516 (#69)	31	6.0%	2	0.4%
Reptiles	199 (#47)	20	10.1%	16	8.0%
Amphibians	54 (#57)	9	16.7%	8	14.8%
Fishes	926 (#59)	73	7.9%	10	1.1%
Plants	4,363 (#78)	37	0.8%	10	0.2%