The flooded forest and fisheries conservation project of Beong Kohreas to promote local livelihood of the community is developed in response to the community based REDD+ strategy and Cambodian Government policy. It aims to promote rural livelihood, the improvement of food security and nutrition, livelihood diversification, and increase in household income in Beong Kohreas community through their empowerment and full participation in protection and management of natural resources particularly flooded forest resources in the lake surroundings, the fisheries, water bird habitats, and biodiversity in Beong Koh Reah area within Sralao Del commune and to benefit 4 out of 14 villages of the commune.
The project will contribute to addressing numerous issues facing the community such as logging of flooded forest, land clearing, flooded forest fire in the dry season, destruction of biodiversity and among others illegal fishing. In the sense, the project will deliver main achievements as follows: 1) understanding of community management committee and authority of the REDD+ concept in Cambodia particularly the community based REDD+ strategy and action plan, strengthening of existing flooded forest management and conservation capacity of Boeng Kohreas community, and planting more flooded forest and establishment of a community tree nursery development. They will have enough capacity for community management and be able to participate in monitoring of REDD+ strategy implementation at the community and national levels; 2) Training of community members and providing capital to enable them develop livelihood options in their local with the aims to increase income and access to sanitation and improved health through the development of water filter credit scheme, behavioural change, and switching to bio-digester and integrated farming practices; and 3) documenting good lessons and best practices from community based REDD+ project implementation for disseminating and sharing with REDD+ policy makers and other communities in the country and beyond.
Goal:
To conserve 53.68 ha flooded forest in Boeng Kohreas surroundings through capacity strengthening of community management committee and members, and rehabilitation of 15,000 m2 degraded flooded forest with tree planting to ensure sustainable flooded forest and improvement of livelihood of community in the 4 villages of Sralao commune.
Objectives
1. By the end of 2017 Boeng Kohreas community management committee and members have understood the concept of REDD+ in Cambodia, know how to use REDD+ IEC materials and have the opportunity to participate in consultation on the draft REDD+ Strategy at national and regional levels within the country.
2. By the end of 2017 Boeng Kohreas community would have been registered with MAFF and have sustainable flooded forest management and fish conservation plan;
3. By the end of 2017 the community consisting of 108 HHs would have increased their household income through water filter credit scheme and switched to using bio-digester to diversify their income generation activities, improved their sanitation and health, and reduced logging of flooded forest to produce fuel wood; and
4. By 2017 lessons learned and best practices derived from the project implementation will have been documented and shared with REDD+ policy makers and other communities through case studies, brochure, video spots, and participated in consultation and sharing of lessons.
Project Activities:
1.1.1 Two project staff and a commune councillor participate in a 2 day training of trainers delivered by UNDP on Cambodia REDD+ concept and use of REDD+ IEC materials;
1.1.2 Provision of a 3 days training for trainers on Cambodia REDD+ concept and use of REDD+ IEC materials to 18 members of the community management committee and commune councillors including 5 members of Community Fisheries management committee, 4 commune councillors, 1 local fisheries official and 8 village heads and deputies-heads;
1.2.1 Meeting with village authority to organise a group that would raise awareness on Cambodia REDD+ concept and use of REDD+ IEC materials;
1.2.2 Meeting to raise awareness on Cambodia REDD+ concept and use of REDD+ awareness materials with people from 200 HHs of the 4 target villages;
1.2.3 Building 3 billboards to raise awareness targeting farmers on Cambodia REDD+ concept;
1.2.4 Providing funding support to selected members of community management committee and commune authority to participate in REDD+ network workshops at provincial and national levels to learn and share lessons and best practices;
2.2.5 Organising study tours to Chetthor?s target Community Fisheries at Ba Phnom district, Prey Veng province to learn how flooded forest is conserved;
2.3.1 Meeting with community and village and commune authorities to disseminate information on fish conservation area and building of artificial habitats;
2.3.2 Consultation meeting to appraise and select contractors for delivering of 80 boundary markers (0.15 x 0.20 x 1.7m), 15 concrete boxes for the fish conservation area and 150 boundary markers (0.25 x 0.20 x 2.50 m) for conservation forest;
2.3.3 Identifying fish conservation site and posting 80 boundary markers and placing 15 concrete boxes in the fish conservation area;
2.3.4 Organising monitoring and evaluation of flooded forest management and conservation and fish habitat conservation activities, 2 times a month over a duration of 16 months;
3.1.1 Meeting to define criteria and select 28 HHs to receive bio-digesters;
3.1.2 Meeting with bio-digester recipients and village and commune authorities to develop a plan for promotion of tree planting, 20 trees by each HH, at their property boundary and public spaces such as in pagoda or school;
3.1.3 Organising a consultation process to select a contractor to build 28 bio-digesters;
3.1.4 Organising an event to hand out the bio-digesters to 28 HHs;
3.2.1 Meeting to establish 4 water filter credit schemes and elect members to form scheme management committees
3.2.2 Provision of training to the scheme management committees, developing by-law and internal regulation, record keeping, and a plan for expansion of the scheme to include other members;
3.2.3 Organising an M&E of the scheme process, record keeping and expansion of the scheme;
4.1.1 Meeting with community management committee and members, village and commune authorities and relevant sectoral agency officials to consult on development and documentation of case studies and IEC materials on lessons learned and best practices arising out of the project to share with REDD+ policy makers and at the community level;
4.1.2 Producing case studies and IEC materials on lessons learned and best practices arising out of the project to share with REDD+ policy makers and at the community level;
4.1.3 Organising workshop to disseminate the case studies and IEC materials on the lessons and best practices arising out of the project to share with REDD+ policy makers and at the community level;
4.2.1 Producing a video spot on lessons learned and best practices to present and share with donor, relevant NGOs and government agencies;
4.2.2 Organising a workshop to disseminate lessons learned and best practices to present and share with donor, relevant NGOs and government agencies;
5.1 Participating in training workshops and meetings organised by donor and project stakeholders.