Environment minister asks for patience on Areng Valley Dam. Environment Minister Say Sam Al asked environmental activists and opposition politicians to be patient as evaluations are carried out into the likely impacts of a controversial proposed dam in Koh Kong province’s Areng Valley. Opposition lawmakers say that the dam will have impacts on culture, people’s livelihoods, the forests and the wildlife. They have called for a specific law requiring environmental impact assessments (EIAs) instead of an existing sub-decree. The environment minister said that a specific EIA law is already being drafted. Villagers around the Areng Valley worry the government will approve the dam regardless of the assessment’s results, concerns heightened when a Chinese construction company recently announced it had signed a contract with the company backing the dam. The Cambodia Daily