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Natural resources

Community-Led Conservation Efforts in Cambodia's Keo Seima REDD+ Project

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A unique conservation project, the Keo Seima REDD+ Project, is supporting 20 indigenous communities in Cambodia's Mondulkiri province by providing direct funding and empowering them to develop sustainable livelihoods. The project, initiated in 2010, has so far distributed nearly $2 million in funding through the Cash for Communities programme (C4C), enabling communities to initiate over 350 projects and reduce their dependence on natural resources. The funding supports improvements in health, education, infrastructure, and income generation, with a focus on promoting sustainable community development and conservation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Keo Seima REDD+ Project has provided nearly $2 million in direct funding to 20 indigenous communities in Mondulkiri province, Cambodia, since its inception in 2010.
  • The funding is provided through the Cash for Communities programme (C4C), a benefit-sharing mechanism that distributes revenue from carbon credit sales.
  • The project has enabled communities to initiate over 350 projects, with a focus on sustainable community development and conservation.
  • Eleven women from Pou Rang village have been trained in weaving traditional krama scarves, generating a modest but steady income for the community.
  • The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) has trained communities to produce bamboo crafts and dish soap, creating new income opportunities and reducing environmental harm.
  • The project's support has helped communities to earn sustainably without harming the forest, promoting local development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The environment ministry is further developing community protected areas nationwide, with a focus on eco-tourism, to attract domestic and international tourists and generate higher local incomes.
  • The Keo Seima REDD+ Project covers 166,983 hectares of forest within the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning over 300,000 hectares across Mondulkiri and Kratie provinces.
  • The project's allocation of funding varies depending on each community's efforts to reduce deforestation, measured by three key indicators: forest cover, participation in forest protection, and community development activities.

Statistics:

  • Nearly $2 million in direct funding has been distributed to 20 indigenous communities through the Cash for Communities programme (C4C).
  • Over 350 projects have been initiated by communities, focusing on sustainable community development and conservation.
  • Eleven women have been trained in weaving traditional krama scarves, generating income for the community.
  • The IIRR has trained communities to produce bamboo crafts and dish soap, creating new income opportunities.
  • The project's support has helped communities to earn sustainably without harming the forest, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • 166,983 hectares of forest are protected within the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning over 300,000 hectares across Mondulkiri and Kratie provinces.
  • The project's allocation of funding varies depending on each community's efforts to reduce deforestation, measured by three key indicators: forest cover, participation in forest protection, and community development activities.

Sources:

  • Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia
  • Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
  • International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
  • Keo Seima REDD+ Project
  • Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia

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