Community forest management and local financing for forest and landscape restoration in Cambodia

Ann, C., Sar, S., Iweins, M.

Community forest management and local financing for forest and landscape restoration in Cambodia

Autores

Ann, C., Sar, S., Iweins, M.

Editor

FAO ;

Descripción

Forest and natural resources are critical to communities in Cambodia, but they are being strongly affected by land encroachment, illegal logging and over-harvesting. Through the support of FAO’s Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM), and with the local partnership of the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC), the Phnom Dek Chambok Hos Community Forestry (PDCHCF) committed to restoring the native trees in their designated forestland, protecting biodiversity, increasing forest cover, and preventing land encroachment. The challenge was to achieve these ambitious goals while also generating income for the community and possibly promoting eco- tourism in the long term. Led by Mr. Khea Sochea, who is from the Kouy Indigenous Group, the PDCHCF has developed an innovative restoration management plan paired with a local financing mechanism that provides short-and long-term incentives and credit schemes to engage members for sustainable forest management. The PDCHCF established a tree plantation site that mixes native and fast-growing tree species and dedicated some areas for intercropping within the degraded area. After consulting PDCHCF members, and in compliance with land laws, the PDCHCF Management Committee decided to grant access to two hectares of land for rice cultivation to the five members who are involved in the maintenance of the tree plantation to provide them with an income- generating activity and an incentive to support their restoration efforts. In the medium or long term, PDCHCF members expect to harvest fast-growing trees to generate revenues for community activities and the credit scheme serving as the financial mechanism and incentive scheme to their members. Keywords: Deforestation and forest degradation, Sustainable forest management, Economic Development ID: 3487212