Response to these Posts Student 1 Good Afternoon everyone, For this Forum I chose topic 2. Cambodia has a serious issue with there wildlife being in danger by land concessions and poaching. But it is no help by there government policy. Biodiversity and the wildlife are decreasing faster and faster every year from illegal hunting and loss of habitat. While the government is coming down hard on wildlife crimes, it's selling off protected wildlife sanctuaries to agro-industrial firms, which contradicts saving wildlife and taking it. In Cambodia, there are two main areas of protection of tigers and biodiversity. They are the Cardamom Mountain range and the Eastern Plains. But, both of these areas have now been threatened. Their are 23 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries that have been opened by the government in 13 conservation areas, but were bid by investment firms. By doing this, it affected over hundreds of thousands of families, wildlife and biodiversity. With wildlife trade being big business in some Asian countries in the Southeast, and a lot of animal parts being used for traditional medicines, poaching has become a serious problem in Cambodia. To try and at least minimize poaching, Cambodian government has offered jobs to poachers to be wildlife rangers for them. Law enforcement teams also go to local businesses like restaurants and to people's homes to make sure everyone is following these laws that were put in place. They say illegal hunting has already almost endangered Cambodia's national animal, the Kouprey, which is known as a "grey ox". Now because of that, it puts pressure on the rest of the wildlife that they have. Many people just do not realize what this can do to the economy and forests of Cambodia. www.dw.com/en/cambodian-wildlife-endangered-by-land-concessions/a-16184278 Student 2 Thailand’s Resources: Thailand’s economic growth in the last few decades has grown exponentially in the South East Asian Realm. However, due to political problems and a general decline in the global economy the economic growth has slowed in this region. None the less this country remains a top contender in the economic industry. The country depends on industrial exports to keep its economic growth up. Examples include, gypsum, automobiles and parts, computers, polymers of ethylene, refined fuels, rice, rubber products, sugar, iron, and other mineral/metals. According to the text, “Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of tin and the second largest exporter of tungsten.” Not only do they depend on tine and tungsten, but they also rely on agricultural items such as rice is the major exporter of rice in the world. Thailand is becoming a major contender in the manufacturing industry, by producing vehicles for companies from the United States and other countries throughout Asia. According to the CIA factbook, in 2017, the country ranked 23rd in exports that generated $228.2 billion for the country. By utilizing resources natural to the region Thailand could continue to make and produce motor vehicle for years to come. The down side is environmental hazards, such as air pollution from vehicle emissions, and water pollution from factory wastes. Thailand is taking all the necessary steps to become a major if not the top contender in the global economic marketplace, the future will only tell. Attached is a photo of Thailand’s Chatree gold mine, the only gold mine that has existed in Thailand. The mine closed at the beginning of 2017 due to environmental hazards and health concerns. The government of Thailand closed the mine due to a survey of the local population, which found 300 of those people tested positive for arsenic and manganese poisoning. The mine now is under international dispute between the government of Thailand and the Australian company Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. I chose to include this dispute because it shows a natural resource that is bountiful, but the government chooses to cease extraction for the greater good of its people. The company is now suing for arbitration of millions of dollars from the government. Attached is a recent article from the last two weeks if your interested. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Thai-junta-s-battle-with-Australianminer-puts-law-under-spotlight Resources: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html https://www.reuters.com/article/thailand-mine-australia/thai-government-braces-for-legal-actionover-gold-mine-closure-idUSL4N1N932G
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