Bio-diversity

The project on sustainable livelihood improvement and natural resources management through community forestry (CF) will be implemented in 4 target villages of one commune in Chaom Ksan district, Preah Vihear province. The project beneficiaries consist of 878 households of 3,494 people, 1,803 women. The project works, for 18 months, from November 2013 to April 2015, with 4 NTFPs groups to improve local livelihood in 4 CFs covering 8,579 ha forest land. People living in the 4 CFs engage in traditional land and livestock farming without technological improvement as well as collecting NTFPs in the forest remnants degraded from illegal logging. Current local livelihood is poor and people face shortage of food every year with the lean time lasting between September and December. This is due mainly to erratic rainfall, drought in the early and late rainy season as well as house and crop damage by wind storms. In other years too much rainfall have them difficulty to start their farming season, and almost 50% of households have their seed and crops to loose and damaged twice in the same year, rendering farmers to resort to making borrow from private money lenders at high monthly interest rate of 5 to 10%. Project objectives Objective 1: By early 2015 all 875 HHs in the CF, with 3,494 members, 1,803 women, from the four villages improve their livelihood and also are resilient to climate change through their improved access to sustainable management and use of 8,579ha forest in the CF land and application of sustainable NTFPs harvest. Objective 2: By 2015 480 CF members, 270 women, have increased income through their involvement in NTFP groups. Expected outputs 1.1 Four CFs formally recognised through agreement entered with FA; 1.2 Four CFMCs consisting of 28 members, 9 women, have the necessary capacity for sustainable management of the CF; 1.3 8,579 ha CF areas effectively managed and conserved with boundary demarcated and sign marks posted; 2.1 Four NTFP groups created and effectively functional; 2.2 The NTFP management, 20 members of them 15 are women, has capacity to manage the operation of the groups. Activities 1.1.1 Development of CF agreement 1.1.2 Monitoring the process of signing of CF agreement 1.2.1 Quarterly meeting of the CFMC and their commune network on forest issues; 1.2.2 Sharing of quarterly progress to members in all target villages; 1.2.3 Provision of training on report writing and minutes taking to all CFMC members; 1.2.4 Provision of training on conflict management to all the CFMC members; 1.2.5 Provision of awareness raising among the CF members on forestry law; 1.2.6 Regular forest patrol in the 4 CFs areas; 1.3.1 Formation of a procurement committee; 1.3.2 Placement of 400 boundary markers for the 4 CF forest areas; 1.3.3 Defining location and placement of billboards for the four CFs; 1.3.4 Monitoring and evaluation on the part of technical aspects; 2.1.1 Facilitation for establishment of NTFP processing groups; 2.1.2 Awareness raising meetings with members to select members for the NTFP groups; 2.1.3 Provision of training and development of draft by-law for NTFP groups in the 4 CFs; 2.1.4 Provision of capital to the 4 CFs; 2.2.1 Training on book keeping; 2.2.2 Technical support and facilitation for formal recognition; 2.2.3 Awareness on the by-law to members of NTFP groups; and 2.2.4 Study on market for NTFP products from the communities.

Cambodia