Sand mining and villagers’ livelihoods in Prek Angkun Koh Kong province Cambodia

Sand mining has been taking place over the past several years-with operations still ongoing—across various parts of Cambodia, especially in the coastal regions. In the southwest region of Cambodia, large areas of natural resources have been damaged, extracted, or replaced. This volume is an attempt to understand the impacts of sand mining on the economic livelihood of villagers in Prek Angkun village of Koh Kong province. The report examined and explored how local villagers have suffered from nearby mining activities and what they have done to counteract those impacts. This study documents the villagers’ various strategies for coping with sand mining and land concessions in their daily lives and documents how they have been struggling with drastic changes to their environment and their traditions—affecting the core aspects of their livelihood and survival. This research highlights loopholes in current government legislation and offers suggestions for both government and locals alike to ease the impact of sand mining.