Bio-diversity

Prek Toal is the next important touristy destination on Siem Reap and Tonle Sap tourism development. All stakeholders in local touristy sector agreed that Prek Toal will be reached by important tourism (if not massive) tourism in the coming years. This evolution has already started (the number of tourists visiting Prek Toal is increasing every year). This project will provide good opportunity for the villages to improve their livelihood could also be highly damageable for both environment (birds colonies, flooding forest ) and the villagers (traditional livelihood) if nothing is done to drive these visitors into environmentally and ethically friendly projects. Much further than only a way to improve livelihood through fair incomes generating activities, the community based ecotourism project in Koh Chiveng commune is certainly the best way to prevent negative impacts on Prek Toal Unesco Biosphere Reserve. Osmose has started to implement community based services and activities in Koh Chiveng commune in 2006. At first, a community-based village tour was set up in Prek Toal. Since 2007, Osmose has extended its project in Peak Kantel with community village tour, home stays and cooking group. The third step of community based ecotourism in Koh Chiveng commune will be to: 1. Strengthen the project in Peak Kantel (new trainings, increasing number of beneficiaries, strengthening the community based organization), 2. Implement a comprehensive community based ecotourism project in Prek Toal including a strong community based organization, home stays, cooking group, handicraft production, and several activities for daily and overnight visitors. A key idea of the project is that each component (group of beneficiaries) will benefit of the activity of the other groups. For example, the home stays will provide customers to the cooking group and visitors who will stay over night will have more time to attend activities organized in the village. On the other hand, it is precisely because there will be an offer of activities in the village that visitors will stay overnight. All activities and services implemented will be environmentally friendly and respectful of village culture and livelihood.

Cambodia