Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Environment Spokesperson, Mr. Khvay Atitya, confirmed that the air quality in Cambodia's capitals and provinces is good. This assessment comes from meticulous monitoring by professional officers using equipment designed to track public air quality.

On Monday, January 29, 2024, Mr. Khvay Atiya reported that there are 14 public air quality monitoring devices in Phnom Penh and 37 more across various provinces. Some provinces even have two additional air quality monitoring devices.

He attributed the maintenance of a good Air Quality Index (AQI) in these locations to the collaborative efforts of stakeholders and sub-national administrations, along with several measures implemented by the ministry.

The Ministry of Environment Spokesperson urged the Phnom Penh Capital and all provincial administrations to continue enforcing the Royal Government's circular on measures to prevent and reduce public air pollution. This includes educating the public not to burn forests, grasslands, plastics, agricultural waste, or garbage in open spaces.

Furthermore, steps must be taken to prevent the burning of forests, grasslands, agricultural and plastic waste, and landfill fires. Measures should also be in place to control dust at construction sites, during the transportation of building materials, and through regular dusting and cleaning of streets and public spaces to prevent fire hazards.

It's noteworthy that the Ministry of Environment's air quality monitoring over the past month indicated that Cambodia has not experienced a significant decline in air quality. Specifically, the concentration of fine particulate matter smaller than or equal to PM2.5 ranged from 18.03 µg/m³ to 21.43 µg/m³, well below the Ministry's standard of 50 µg/m³ on a 24-hour average.