Cambodia’s cardamom mountains face growing threats as illegal logging and development carve up critical rainforest haven

Deep in southwestern Cambodia, the Cardamom Mountains stand as one of the country’s last pristine rainforest sanctuaries. These rugged peaks, protected by challenging terrain, torrential rains, and sparse human settlement, harbor some of Southeast Asia’s most endangered wildlife. Threatened Asian elephants roam through the dense canopy alongside elusive pangolins and the region’s final surviving population of fishing cats—a rare wild feline species found nowhere else in viable numbers.

However, this biodiversity hotspot now faces an escalating crisis. A comprehensive investigation by Mongabay has revealed the complex web of threats systematically dismantling one of Cambodia’s most important ecological treasures. Since 2021, journalists have exposed shocking revelations of illegal logging operations run from inside Cambodian prisons, where inmates coordinate timber trafficking networks from behind bars.

The investigation also uncovered how proposed dam construction projects serve as convenient cover for large-scale timber smuggling, allowing loggers to strip valuable hardwoods under the guise of legitimate development. Meanwhile, conservation efforts have created unexpected friction with Indigenous communities who have called these forests home for generations, leaving a power vacuum that opportunistic land grabbers eagerly exploit.

As these multiple pressures converge, the Cardamom Mountains face an uncertain future. What was once protected by geography and isolation now finds itself vulnerable to modern threats that could irreversibly transform this critical ecosystem. The race is on to preserve what remains of this irreplaceable rainforest before it’s carved up beyond recognition.