All 12 Community Forestry in Uddor Meanchey are facing with the threats to losing their forest cover from land conversion for agriculture and commercial logging when actions taken by authority and communities have been on the decline and without clear strategy. Moreover, the provincial CF network appears to have lack of effective influence to reduce illegal activities and preserve the remnant forest cover while NGO project support ends and when the communities have yet enough capacity to act on their own. The community institution does not seem to be effective in performing their roles and responsibility to preserve forest as stated in their regulation and agreement with FA.
Community regulation and forestry law appear to have been forgotten and interactions with relevant stakeholder on addressing forest offenses have not been secured on a timely manner. CF management committee appears to have lack regular meeting including sharing information with members particularly with ethnic minority groups who are faced with losing their livelihood in NTFPs collection. The total forest area under conservation 6,370 ha is frequented by no less that 3,500 HHs including no less than 1,225 vulnerable women to collect NTFPs. Management plan for the conservation forest has not been approved and thus the forest remains under continued threats now and in the future. To project objective is to pilot REDD+ approach at local level to address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.
Goal: To protect forests under management by 12 CFs in Uddor Meanchey through REDD+ pilot project to ensure environmental and biodiversity sustainability and contribute to securing livelihood of indigenous people.
Specific objective 1
To enhance, by the end of 2017, knowledge of 12 CFs in Uddor Meanchey on REDD+ and their participation in preservation of 6,370 ha for their sustainability.
Specific objective 2
To ensure two CFs have sufficient capacity and function to effectively preserve 1,950 ha forest including wildlife and birds.
Specific objective 3
To ensure that poor farmers in the CFs including 50 HHs of ethnic minority origin have improved their livelihood through improved agriculture practices and sustainable harvesting of NTFPs.
Project activities
Activities under objective 1 include:
1.1.1 Sending 1 VSG staff and 1 FA official to participate in a training on REDD+ concept and administration;
1.1.2 Provision of a training of training on REDD+ concept and administration for 24 trainers from 12 CFs;
1.1.3 Holding a meeting to disseminate information on REDD+ by 24 CF trainers in each CF with at least 40 CF members, 30% women;
1.1.4 Producing a video clip to document REDD+ activities of the project including approach and methodology;
1.1.5 Submitting draft management plan to SGP national programme coordinator for review and comments;
1.1.6 Producing 300 copies of final document;
1.1.7 Holding a network meeting of 12 CFs with 15 participants, 2 women, to have a reflection on forest conservation planning of the project and CIP/DIP
1.1.8 Reviewing current CF network and rule for Uddor Meanchey CF network;
1.1.9 Developing a shared CF network plan and provision of fund to network activists in addressing forest offenses;
1.1.10 Supporting CF representatives to participate in national REDD+ consultation;
Activities under objective 2
2.1.1 Delivering refreshing training on filing complain and report writing including ICTD;
2.1.2 Conducting monitoring and provision of technical support to CF management committee;
2.1.3 Holding a CF meeting to elect 11 CF management members as the terms of current management ends;
2.1.4 Reviewing rules, by-law and management plan for future implementation;
2.1.5 Disseminating the adopted by-law, regulation and CF agreement to all members;
2.1.6 Conducting independent capacity self-assessment through committee and trainers;
2.1.7 Provision of coaching on implementation of patrol plan and provide funding to 2 CFs to perform their patrol at the initial stage;
2.1.8 Conducting regular patrol by 2 CFs;
2.1.9 Provision of funding to CF management committee as capital to generate revenue to support patrol;
2.1.10 Provision of necessary equipment including smart phone and connection to REDD+ social network with VSG;
2.1.12 Developing firebreak or windbreak, 1 km each for Chhouk Meas and Ratanak Rukha;
2.1.14 Identifying boundary of conservation area in Ratanak Rukha and Chhouk Meas CFs including boundary demarcation and sign boards at 10 locations;
2.1.15 Developing forest resource sketch on white fabric with permanent markers;
2.1.16 Organising events to plant 800 trees on degraded land in both CFs over 1 ha land.
Activities under objective 3
3.1.1 Identifying 50 poor women farmers from the 2 CFs to receive training on agriculture and animal husbandry techniques;
3.1.2 Organising a study visit to learn from farming and animal production with CEDAC?s model farmers;
3.1.3 Provision of seeds to the 50 women farmers after training to start their farming at the beginning of rainy season;
3.1.4 Monitoring and provision of technical support to the 50 farmers;
3.1.5 Identifying and organising group of model farmers from among the 50 farmers;
3.1.6 Developing by-law for the model farmers and their management structure;
3.1.7 Provision of training on book keeping or recording of their practices and monitor progress of their crops;
3.1.8 Monitoring and provision of technical support to the 50 farmers;
3.1.9 Mentoring the farmers to learn how to manage and harvest NTFPs on a sustainable manner;
3.1.10 Provision of training on processing techniques, bamboo pickle, dry bamboo and packaging and marketing;
3.1.11 Provision of loan to model farmers under management by women group in both CFs;
Project outputs
1.1 26 Trainers from 12 CFs and 2 from VSG and FA become trainers on REDD+ concept, 480 CF members, 30% women, have understanding of REDD+ concept through awareness activities delivered by the trainers and their participating in the national REDD+ process through network meeting at the provincial and national levels;
1.2 Case studies, best practices and approach applied in REDD+ and piloted will be demonstrated and documented by the communities;
1.3 Uddor Meanchey CF network structure reviewed and the roles and responsibility of CF on forest conservation (carbon credit) analysed for all the 12 CFs for improvement of their performance;
2.1 26 CF management committee members have knowledge of 1) forest conservation, 2) how to make formal complaint; report writing, and 4) CF level administrative work and apply the knowledge to serve community interests;
2.2 Structure of the 12 CFs strengthened (11 CFs in 2015 and 2 more in 2016 as their management committee 5 year term expired) by organising re-election of members to the management including refined roles and responsibility and job description adopted; Capacity assessment and improved planning will be undertaken at the end of the project;
2.3 10 boundary markers placed at key locations in two forest conservation area of 2 CFs ? Chhouk Meas and Ratanak Rukha. Pictures of forest offense are taken and reported timely using 12 smart phone provided to the patrol team or network, at least 15 patrol is done monthly by each CF and forest offense in the conservation forest is reduced; 400 trees are planted in degraded land along with resource maps developed through a participatory process of the community members and local authority; NTFPs harvesting has been planned for and their sustainability ensured and rare tree and wildlife species are preserved;
3.1 50 poor farmers of indigenous origin received training on agriculture and animal husbandry and their production plans developed for implementation in 2015-2016 cycle including home garden and livestock farming; At least 50% of the HH production plans are successfully implemented with improved production obtained in relation to 2014;
3.2 The farmers also gained knowledge on agriculture including at least 6 model farmers follow the rules and plan developed;
3.3 The farmers learned how to harvest NTFPs sustainably and have developed their plan to protect or harvest the resources on an equitable basis.