Released on: October 12, 2008, 6:28 pm

Press Release Author: PEMSEA

Industry: Government

Press Release Summary: The Municipality of Sihanoukville in Cambodia is poised to
host the 2008 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal
Development (PNLG) Forum on 19-21 November at the Sokha Beach Hotel.

Press Release Body: The Municipality of Sihanoukville in Cambodia is poised to host
the 2008 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development
(PNLG) Forum on 19-21 November at the Sokha Beach Hotel. The Forum will discuss
critical issues on "Water Resource Protection, Utilization and Management" and will
convene more than 80 local executives and technical staff from nine PEMSEA
participating countries. It will also be a venue for the directors and staff of the
Project Management Offices in ICM sites to discuss the proposed highlights and
activities for the next three years of ICM program implementation.

"As a local government member, we are 100-percent committed to the PNLG, which is
why, after a series of discussions with various agencies and the Ministry of
Interior, we have decided to host this year's Forum. It is also a way for us to get
people to know more about Sihanoukville," says PMO Director and Second Vice
Governor, Prak Sihara.

"You know, a lot of people don't even know where Sihanoukville is. We don't have the
usual tourist destinations like those in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but we hope that
the PNLG participants can take a break from the usual hustle bustle of the city and
just relax," added Mr. Prak Visal, Project Manager for the Sihanoukville ICM Office.

For the host Municipality, the event is also hoped to raise awareness among coastal
municipalities and local partners on potential water management issues arising from
unmitigated urban expansion, and possibly encourage the coastal municipalities to
implement integrated coastal management in their respective municipalities.

Recalling the response from local officials when asked about water management in
2007, local executives were then certain that this will not be a major concern for
the coastal municipality. In recent years, however, Sihanoukville's landscape has
undergone a dramatic change with the construction of hotels, industries, residential
buildings and other tourist establishments. When asked of the same question now, Mr.
Prak Visal does not hesitate to air what could be a common concern among PNLG
members, "Sure, it is a problem now, especially water quality and supply."

This year's participants are eyeing the Forum to provide them with the needed
guidance and advice to address, if not prevent, potential problems on water use and
management. The Xiamen Municipal Government serves as the secretariat for the PNLG,
with the PEMSEA Resource Facility providing technical guidance.


Web Site: http://pemsea.org

Contact Details: Partnerships in Enviromental Management for the Seas of East Asia
(PEMSEA)
Magnolia Uy
E-mail: mmuy@pemsea.org
Telephone: +63 (2) 929-2992