Environmental experts met with government officials Tuesday to review the national strategy to improve the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods.

The officials met to answer problems of land degredation, including the loss of productive agricultural land and the loss of productive ecosystems, under the aegis of the Global Environment Facility, which funds projects through UNDP and is seeking to support such strategies in developing countries.

"Evidence clearly shows that drought, land degredation, degraded water supplies and biodiversity loss, increasingly related to climate change, are undermining and reversing development efforts," said Jo Scheuer, country director for UNDP, which sponsored the talks.

"This is an important event to provide the opportunity…to address the serious environmental challenges in Cambodia," he said.

"Obviously, political stability and environmental security are interlocked," said Minister of Environment Mok Mareth. "Without political stability, we cannot implement our environmental activities. On the other hand, environmental insecurity can lead to the weakening of the national economy and social stability."

The government was continuing to strengthen its cooperation with the international community, he said.