Ecology

Cambodian environmental activists have long decried the destruction of the country’s forests, natural resources and rivers. This activism has seeped into everyday Cambodian conversations where young people are emboldened to advocate against deforestation and its impact on communities.

Population growth and changing lifestyles are resulting in an increasing amount of waste, the management of which poses a challenge for many countries, as well as in Cambodia. This dossier aims to acknowledge the existing potential in Cambodia in terms of sustainable waste management. The potential of Cambodian’s civil society, especially women, who are indispensable for the transformation of Cambodia's waste management and who are already in the process of doing so.

“In Cambodia, women clean the dishes at home, women take the waste to the garbage bin […] So they play a very important role in waste management at household level.” – says Sok Serey, Professor of Philosophy at the Royal University of Cambodia. 

This article looks at the interconnection between gender and waste. Gender, as a social construct shaping our norms, behaviors, and roles, intertwines with waste, (also) an omnipresent companion of our daily lives. The connection may not be visible at first glance, but simply because, as the UNEP beautifully puts it, “it simply mirrors what is seen elsewhere” (Nakamura 2022). The symbiotic relationship between gender and waste is best illustrated by tracing the different levels of the waste sector. Household, community, operation and policy are all areas involved in a country's waste management and are also intertwined with gender, together forming an unbroken cycle.

South East Asian countries are depicted with plastic polluted beaches, plastic waste on the curbsides, and marine animals washed up on shore with plastics found in their stomachs. However, a closer look at the waste sector of specific cities and municipalities in some countries reveals a remarkable zero waste movement. This article embarks on an exploration of the zero waste approach and discusses its feasibility for Cambodia.

The mineral industry sector is the cause of conflict in various karst regions in Indonesia as companies are keen to exploit natural resources to make cement. But the science of exploring caves – speleology – can help local communities understand the potential of their unique landscapes, contribute to furthering local solidarity, and empower them to make clearer decisions about mining in their areas.