Cambodia's Environment Minister Say Samal on Sunday called for more effort to study and preserve orchids in protected areas which can become tourist attractions.
During a visit to the project site of the Sok An Phnom Kulen Orchid Research and Conservation Centre in Siem Reap province, Mr Samal encouraged officials and researchers to expand efforts to find and collect more species of orchids, noting that so far Cambodia has fewer species than neighbouring countries.
Mr Sok Vichea, a researcher and technical officer at the orchid centre, said that they are currently organising ecosystems that can store orchids.
He noted that after this is done, teams will search for orchid samples and compile data to inform people, especially the younger generation and tourists, about them.
“We plan to go to search for more new orchid species in protected areas by the end of the year,” Mr Vichea said. “I believe that our country may have from 500 to 1,000 orchid species, which we have not yet found.”