Environmental research

The project was formulated as a result of participation by local villagers, Community Fisheries (CFi) committee, local authorities at village and commune levels, officials from provincial Department of Agriculture (DoA), Department of Water Resources and Meteorology (DoWRAM), provincial Fisheries Cantonment (FiAC), and staff of Chetthor in VRA assessment in the target villages. Findings from the VRA show that drought has occurred more frequently since 1995, and irregular flooding was observed since 2000, leading to severe shortage of water for household consumption and for irrigation, and some natural ponds become shallower due to decreased rainfall in the last five years. With lower flooding level much of the agricultural land are not flooded and thus the soil become exhausted, leading to lower crop yield. Frequent disease outbreaks on both human and animals and pest infestation on crop have brought about negative impacts on local livelihood. Some seeds, such as corn bought from the market, fail to grow. As local people have poor knowledge of the significance of flooded forest, large tract of flooded forests serving as fish spawning grounds are cleared and turned to agricultural production since 1995, chart 1, thus contributing to degradation of fish stock and eventually people find their access to fish becomes harder and their daily income from fishing substantially reduced. Illegal and destruction fishing practices have caused damages to the biodiversity, the sole common pool of resources for local livelihood. Moreover, inappropriate application of chemicals by local farmers has resulted in ill health of human, animals and the environment exposed to contamination. These have contributed to impoverishing local livelihood and some local villagers become desperate and decided to migrate for jobs, with the result that some household had forced their children, girls in particular, to drop school at just junior secondary level to seek job with garment factory for their poverty. The lack of human capacity, capital, irrigation scheme, information and experiences, has constrained local people to adapt effectively to the CC. The project is expected to contribute to reverse the state of the local biodiversity and livelihood in the target area in the former fishing lot #9 and lakes in former lot #8-12. With this the resources are expected to be better managed to support local consumption on an equitable and effective manner. The project seeks to respond to the priority and immediate needs of the local communities and to address impacts from climate on local livelihood as identified in VRA exercise. The project as it is designed aims to establish an operational partnership with Prey Veng Fisheries Cantonment to continue protecting existing flooded forests over 144 ha in Ba Phnom and 4 ha in Peam Chor, and a lake each in Ba Phnom and Peam Chor, and to plant 6 ha more flooded forest with 2 sign marks installed in each of the two districts. The project will seek to improve local livelihood and contribute to reduce vulnerability of local people to CC through provision of appropriate inputs and techniques for expansion of their agricultural production. The project continues to provide support to 68 of overall 485 households in the area to improve their livelihood and reduces their vulnerability through support to the women saving groups and awareness raising on impacts of CC on local livelihood. The project will directs its effort on the poor, particularly poor women, widows, and women headed households, households with disability, orphans, people living with HIV/AIDS, and poor households in the community in general, to develop their human capacity. The project proposal is to be implemented in 17 villages, 6 communes, in 2 districts within Prey Veng province through CFi committees and with direct involvement of 485 members, 294 women, from 34 existing self-help groups (SHGs). 1.2 Project goal To continue the conservation of existing 144ha of flooded forest in Ba Phnom and 4ha in Peam Chor, and 1 lake each in the two districts, and to plant 6ha of flooded forest in each of the two districts. The project will also provide local villagers with appropriate agricultural techniques and inputs through existing saving groups to improve livelihood and strengthen the communities. 1.3 Project outcome Outcome 1: 144 ha of flooded forest in Ba Phnom and 4 ha in Peam Chor, and 1 lake each in the two districts conserved and 6 ha of flooded forest planted and 2 sign board installed in each of the two districts for the benefit of 22,556 villagers, 14,429 women, from 4,813 households in the 17 target villages; Outcome 2: 68 households of 485 household within existing 34 saving groups have their livelihood improved and their vulnerability to CC reduced through adoption of appropriate agricultural techniques and inputs; Outcome 3: Awareness among community members, CFi committees, patrol teams, CFi federations, village and commune officials and councils, and local administrative police raised on the fisheries law and impacts of CC. 1.4 Expected outputs Output 1.1: 6 CFi managed and resources therein are utilized on a sustainable manner; Output 2.1: Capacity of the existing self-help groups strengthened in terms of administration and use; Output 3.1: Understanding of the provision of the fisheries law and impacts of CC as well as the way of living that effectively adapt to CC gained by target communities and relevant local authoriti

Cambodia