Environmental research

Communities in Oh Touk and Kach Rotes villages, Kampong Prieng Commune, Sangke District, Battambang province, have formulated CFi and formally recognized by FiA. In Kach Rotes, a lake had been rehabilitated but without plan for its management and no protection scheme has been established. There are 3,573 villagers, 1,891 women, living in 797 households of the two communities. The area is endowed with flooded forest and rich biodiversity, however the recent flooding and drought bring about a major challenge facing communities as rains come very late and as their rice get just 1 month old, flooding destroys arrives and wipes everything out. The VRA assessment conducted by Khmer Assistant Action indicates that the communities are particularly vulnerable as raining becomes erratic and much less predictable. The area suffer from chronic loss of forest cover, water shortage and flooding are common problem, crops are infested by pest, and livestock die, inappropriate use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides and lack of fund and seed. Local irrigation infrastructure is dilapidated, with heavy deposition of sediment and damaged in many locations thus does not hold water for use to irrigate rice and other crops in the dry season and there is no means to drain flood water out of the village when it comes. To effectively manage water and fisheries resources in the area and to ensure local community develop capacity to adapt their livelihood to CC the project plans to rehabilitate a lake, 10,000 m3, and to normalize 2 distribution canals at 9,400m, including release brood fish in the lake, planting 1,000 trees on the lake surroundings and another 1,000 trees on the side of the canals. A conservation plan is also proposed for Boeng Krong and Boeng Tngann through provision of additional funding to the existing self-help groups. In trying to address the problems and implementing activities above, commune council and KAA have developed a project proposal, Water and Fisheries Resources Management to Improve Community Livelihood, with an emphasis on key components: 1) improvement of access to water for irrigation through normalization of existing reservoir and distribution canals; 2) improvement of fisheries resources in two lakes, via their conservative management and provision of additional funding to the existing SHGs; and 3) improvement of local capacity to adapt to CC. 1.2 Project goal To improve local livelihood of 797 households in two communities of Kampong Prieng commune, Sangke district, Battambang province, better access to water and fisheries resources in the area. Specific objectives are as follows: Objective 1: All seasons access to water by 3,574 villagers, 1,892 women, from 797 households in Os Touk and Kach Rotes villages, Kampong Prieng commune, is secured for production and domestic consumption through rehabilitation of 9,400m water distribution canal; Objective 2: Local livelihood of 310 households improved through dredging a natural pond, 100m x 50 m x 2 m, where fisheries resources is then enhanced; and Objective 3: Awareness raised among 797 community members in the communities on the impacts of CC and their sharing within households. 1.3 Project outcomes Outcome 1.1 (Objective 1): Effective committees established for the 2 communities with clearly defined roles and responsibility and water is accessible for irrigating 3,000 ha in case of drought at the end of farming season; Outcome 2.1 (Objective 2): Natural pond in Os Touk village is rehabilitated and fisheries resources are enhanced resulting in more household income from fishing in the area; Outcome 2.2 (Objective 2): Household income increased for 1,690 villagers, 839 female, from 200 households in the area through provision of fund to the existing SHGs; and Outcome 3.1 (Objective 3): Capacity to adapt to CC developed with 2,000 villagers. 1.4 Expected outputs and major activities Output 1.1.1 (Outcome 1.1, Objective 1): A canal 9,400 m long - 4m top width, 2m bottom width and 1 m deep - rehabilitated in collaboration with provincial DoWRAM and accessible to 3,574 villagers, 1,892 women, from 797 households for irrigating 3,000 ha rice. Activities - Dissemination of the canal and pond rehabilitation in collaboration with provincial DoWRAM; - Organizing bidding for qualified contractors with commune procurement committee and through advertisement via newspapers, radio, and other media; and - Development of and signing contract for rehabilitation of 9,400 m canal with winning bidder. Output 1.1.2 (Outcome 1.1, Objective 1): The rehabilitated canal effectively managed by an established water user community with 5 management committee members, 2 female. Activities - Meeting with beneficiaries to discuss criteria and conduct election for WUC committee with the participation of local authority and 250 villagers, 157 female; - Development of communities by-law and its dissemination with 50 members, 20 female; and - Provision of 3 trainings for 6 days for the 5 members of the committee, 2 female, on leadership and report writing Output 1.1.3 (Outcome 1.1, Objective 1): The dikes on both side of the canal are built and used as access road where 1,000 trees are planted with input from 1,302 local villagers, 650 female. Activities - Leveling and compacting the dike by community committee with the participation of 1,302 villagers, 650 female, for its use as access road; - Meeting of water management committee and 302 villagers, 150 female, to discu

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