Debate
Cambodia should prioritize economic growth over environmental conservation.
Sep 24, 2021 - Sep 26, 2021Moderator
Welcome to Politikoffee’s Online Debate!
This debate session is a part of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Political Empowerment Academy (KASPEA) 2021. The topic in the session is “Cambodia should prioritize economic growth over environmental conservation.”. Each team will have three arguments to support their stances. Please note that the arguments of both team are not necessarily their opinions. Each team’s position is randomly selected to be as Pro and Con teams.
You are encouraged to thoroughly read the debate before casting your vote for any team. You can vote only one time for one team, and it’s totally confidential! The polling will close at 12 PM Saturday.
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Read more...Agree
As Cambodia is currently transitioning to and preparing for Industry 4.0, Cambodia is also a lower-middle-income country that’s in need of foreign direct investment and is keen to capitalize on its rich and untapped natural resources.
1. Environmental conservation is crucial to keep the natural beauty of our country and the livelihood of wild animals and plants but it should not be prioritized over our economic growth because Cambodia is a developing country and the increase of employment, human, and natural resources, will only move our country forward.
2. Since environmental conservation heavily contributes to the tourism sector, which was the third most profitable sector to Cambodia’s GDP before the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, it would be a more strategic and realistic approach if we prioritize the agri-industrial sector to fast-track the restart of Cambodia’s economy.
3. It’s safe to say that foreign direct investment is vital for industrial development, like Chinese investment in Sihanouk Ville and other provinces. It is more appealing if a country prioritizes economic growth over environmental conservation. As harsh regulations can push away potential interest for foreign investors, it is crucial to meet in the middle when it comes to environmental conservation.
To conclude, our prime minister has said that Cambodia aims to be a developed country with high-income status, therefore it would not be achievable if the country has policies and regulations that prevent foreign investors from investing more in our economy. “Economic growth without investment in human development is unsustainable and unethical.”, Amartya Sen.
Read more...Disagree
Economic growth is significant for every country; yet economic growth without environmental conservation would be a disaster. There are three reasons why this is true.
1. Being a less developed country, the Cambodian government should prioritize ecotourism as a newly emerging sector compared to other sectors like garment one which is vulnerable in the international and competitive market. Instead, as our country consists of many natural resources and forests, we should promote them as eco-tourism, creating our unique identity which everyone can find only in our country. This sector can ultimately bring more jobs and opportunities to the local people like being a guide and selling the local products to the visitors. By do so, It is sustainable growth which everyone can benefit and it will be our identity for the nation
2. By preserving our lucrative and natural resources, we will create a friendly environment by diminishing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The majority of people will not encounter health issues from the smoke as the place they are living is equipped with green buildings and eco-friendly goods. It is essential to acknowledge the fact that environmental conservation has prevented the risks and consequences of climate change. Despite the challenges, we should begin to recognize the importance of saving our mother nature.
3. These days, environmental conservation has been overlooked as there are insufficient water tanks to flow the main streams. For instance, though Preah Sihanouk is a beautiful town with unique sightseeing, some lakes, and mountains, there are buildings almost everywhere that hinder the sewage system from letting the rain flow properly. Additionally, there was an incident where massive flooding took a man's life and some infrastructure was destroyed.
Despite the fact that the middle ground is difficult to determine, the advantages of the environment conservation and the drawbacks of economic growth have proved that Cambodia should never prioritize economic growth over environmental conservation.
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