Siem Reap takes steps to become a greener, cooler city

Local authorities are rolling out a landscaping programme for the city, with thousands of trees being planted along the riverside and on city streets to provide more shade for pedestrians and cyclists.

With the announcement of a new “Riverside Greenery” pilot being prepared by the Siem Reap Provincial Administration in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other agencies, the city has taken another major step towards greening the city, with new tree planting, landscaped riverfront areas, and improved public spaces intended to make it a more pleasant place to live and visit.

Announced in early September, the project will initially transform a 100-metre stretch of the Siem Reap River running south from the Royal Residence bridge. Plans envisage additional planting and landscaped gardens alongside decorative lighting, seating, and photo areas. The stated aim is to improve the urban environment while making the riverfront more attractive to both residents and tourists.

The scheme forms part of a broader rethink of the river corridor. At a June meeting reviewing the second phase of the Siem Reap River restoration project, provincial authorities called for gardens and ornamental trees along both sides of roads beside the river. The plans also include pedestrian paving, cycle lanes, public lighting and measures to protect the riverbanks. The provincial government says it wants the riverside to function increasingly as a place for walking, recreation and exercise rather than simply as a traffic corridor.

For some time, tree planting has been taking place beyond the riverfront. In February, Siem Reap's Provincial Council specifically called on the city and district authorities to maintain recently planted roadside trees. Officials stressed that trees already planted along city streets should be properly cared for as part of maintaining the appearance and environment of the historic city.

This builds on the major road improvements undertaken in recent years. JICA's Siem Reap Smart City Roadmap records that the government's 38-road reconstruction programme included the planting of 3,125 trees, alongside more than 106 kilometres of reconstructed roads, drainage infrastructure, street lighting and other improvements.

In practice, the planting of new trees is taking place on a much larger scale. APSARA National Authority, which manages the Angkor archeological area, distributed 14,738 saplings free of charge between 25 June and 6 July this year alone, including trees destined for private land, roadsides, schools and pagodas in Siem Reap and surrounding districts.

Earlier in June, another distribution programme included 200 trees for planting along the Siem Reap River, while the city administration and APSARA planted 600 trees at eight locations in Kravan village in Nokor Thom commune as part of efforts to restore vegetation in the wider Angkor area.

Perhaps the largest single recent initiative was the planting of 10,000 trees at Angkor AEON Nature Park in July, undertaken by APSARA and Japan's AEON Environmental Foundation. Meanwhile, Banteay Srei district authorities planted almost 5,000 trees along roads in all five communes in August, explicitly describing the programme as a way of creating greener landscapes, improving the local environment and attracting visitors.

These projects also fit within the national government's wider “Green Sprouts” or Ponlok Baitong initiative, under which the Environment Ministry is encouraging tree propagation and free distribution across Cambodia. One of five major regional government nurseries established to support the programme is in Siem Reap province. The ministry reported in July that more than 5.3 million seedlings had been distributed nationally since the beginning of 2026.

For Siem Reap residents, the importance of all this goes beyond appearance. More mature roadside trees and landscaped public spaces can eventually provide much-needed shade for pedestrians and cyclists during the hottest months of the year when temperatures can climb beyond 40 degrees centigrade.  

Although progress is being made, clear targets are still to be set. There is still no publicly announced target for tree-canopy coverage; kilometres of shaded pavement; or the creation of major new municipal parks. The Provincial Council's call for authorities to look after newly planted trees also highlights that planting trees is relatively easy, but keeping them watered, protected and healthy until they provide substantial shade requires a commitment to long-term maintenance and funding.

Nevertheless, the direction is positive. These recent actions indicate that riverfront landscaping, roadside trees, mass distribution of seedlings, the restoration of vegetation around Angkor, and Siem Reap's continuing JICA-supported Smart City programme are all placing the creation of greener public spaces firmly within the city's development agenda.