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 authorities.
1.5 Key Activities
Sub-Output 1.1.1 (Output 1.1, Outcome 1): 12 ha of flooded forests planted, 4 sign boards installed and existing 148 ha of flooded forest effectively protected.
Activities
-Meeting with fisheries officials and local authorities to discuss follow up strategy for conserving 144 ha of flooded forest in Ba Phnom and 4 ha in Peam Chor;
-Discussion with fisheries officials and local authorities on a plan for planting 12 ha flooded forest in Ba Phnom and Peam Chor;
- 2 sign boards posting at conservation forests in Ba Phnom and 2 others for the 12 ha planted forests;
- Buying 18,000 saplings to plant in the two districts;
- Building 2 community outposts, 1 in each district;
- Organizing a tree planting event in collaboration with local authorities and fisheries cantonment.

Sub-output 1.2.1 (Output 1.1, Outcome 1): Six CFi have their management and development plans developed.
Activities
- Meeting with fisheries officials and local authorities to discuss draft management and development plans for the 6 communities;
- Coordinating with the fisheries officials and local authorities to get endorsement on the 6 community plans;
- Facilitating CFi committee and Commune Councils to incorporate plans for the 6 communities into the commune plans.
Sub-Output 1.3.1 (Output 1.1, Outcome 1): Two lakes are under on-going joint protection by community patrol team and relevant authorities and with sign that more fish are coming back.
Activities
- Staff coordinating with and facilitating patrol team to patrol the lakes and community areas in the 2 districts;
- Monitoring and monthly reporting to track changes following project implementation; and
- Reporting and collaborating with local authority to prevent and suppress illegal activities in the conservation areas.
Sub-output 2.1.1 (Output 2.1, Outcome 2): 34 saving groups have the capacity to administer and use fund to expand their agricultural based livelihood.
Activities
- Meeting to disseminate to the 34 saving groups the project plan and consultation on the petty businesses, saving, meetings;
- Provision of training to 68 group members on CC resilient agricultural based livelihoods;
- Coordination and provision of additional fund to existing 68 households members for promotion of their agricultural based livelihood;
- Provision of training on leadership, recording, and financial management to 102 saving group members; and
- Following up, motivating and encouraging effective performance of the project team.
Sub-output 2.2.1 (Output 2.1, Outcome 2): Knowledge is gained by 68 saving group members on CC resilient agricultural techniques.
Activities
- Selection of 68 members/households from within the existing 34 saving groups, 484 members overall, to receive training on climate resilient agricultural techniques;
- Provision of training to 68 saving group members on climate resilient agricultural techniques;
- Provision of additionally USD5,440 fund to 34 saving groups (USD80 per group) to enable the 68 members to carry out agricultural options they learned from the training;
Sub-output 2.3.1 (Output 2.1, Outcome 2): Climate resilient agricultural practices carried out effectively by 50 ? 70% of those receiving the training.
Activities
- Follow up, motivate and encourage successful implementation by the project team;
- Carry out an VRA in 8 target villages within 6 communes; and
- Carry out a study tour to outside of the province by saving groups and CFi committees.
Sub-output 3.1.1 (Output 3.1, Outcome 3): Understanding gained by among 510 CFi members, and 125 CFi committee members and local authorities, of the importance of natural resource management and impacts of CC;
Activities
- Conduct a meeting with communities each in 17 target villages to discuss NR management and adaptation to CC, attended by 510 participants, 275 women;
- Provide training to CFi committees, patrol teams, CFi federation, village, commune, and district officials, local administrative police, 125 in total, on fisheries law and impacts of CC;
- Conduct quarterly meetings between CFi committee and village chiefs and commune councilors to follow up project implementation and mainstream the project into commune investment project;
- Conduct quarterly meetings between CFi committees, commune councils, and district governor to present results from the implementation and to plan for the next period at Chetthor office; and
- Organize a fish releasing event and a campaign against illegal fishing with presentation on impacts of CC on livelihood.
Sub-output 3.2.1 (Output 3.1, Outcome 3): Lessons and experiences from project implementation documented and shared with relevant stakeholders.
Activities
- Documentation of case study by saving groups;
- Collect images and changes made by the project;
- Produce a short video clips for sharing and for documentation;
- Meeting to present results from the project at the provincial level; and
- End of project evaluation by an external consultant.