(Phnom Penh): The leadership of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction stated that we will request a principle from the Royal Government to register Zone 3 land as public land of the state and Zone 2 land as private land of the state. Zone 1 is the responsibility of the provincial administration and territorial authorities, Zone 2 is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture but must be delegated to the provincial authorities for management, Zone 3 is the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment, in particular, the responsibility for the land of Tonle Sap Lake as a whole, both in terms of quantity and quality of water, is the responsibility of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology.

Speaking at a meeting on the request to register Zone 3 land of the flooded forest in the six provinces surrounding Tonle Sap Lake as public property of the state in the inventory of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology and the request to register Zone 2 state land in the geography of Kampong Thom province, which was held at the ministry's office on the afternoon of May 26, 2025.

His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Say Samal thanked the team of the General Department of Land Management for their efforts in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, especially in registering land in the Tonle Sap area, along with registering land nationwide. Registering land in the Tonle Sap area is not an easy task, as it requires registering land in more than 80 communes in 6 provinces around Tonle Sap Lake. Starting from the issues to be discussed now, His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister put forward a number of perspectives to help facilitate the work related to this case, including the need to have a consensus on organizing the Tonle Sap area in a proper manner to avoid losing it because the Tonle Sap Lake has many great benefits for the national economy. Each commune in the provinces around the Tonle Sap Lake must have a land use map like the Angkor area, must clearly define water houses, must participate in coordinating disagreements between relevant ministries and institutions for the benefit of the national economy as a whole, and must define responsibilities and enhance the prestige of the Tonle Sap Authority, which is the institution coordinating the strategic work of the Tonle Sap Lake.

His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Say Samal requested that the Tonle Sap Authority lead the coordination to review the overall condition of Tonle Sap Lake to conserve biodiversity and seek consensus on changing the condition of Tonle Sap Lake for the better to preserve this great lake with many benefits as a legacy for future generations.