Project Detail

"Enhanced Forest" Community-Based Ecotourism Operation project

This project will support sustainable community-based activities at the Tonle Sap Lake which demonstrate and promote the establishment of community based eco-tourism and the reforestation of flooded forests around the conservation areas.

The project will also address the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources mainly fisheries and flooded forests in the areas under increasing human pressure by organizing womens saving & self-help groups in order to create community-based livelihood alternatives.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Community Fisheries Organization, Eco-tourism sub-committee

Country:

Cambodia

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 3

Grant Amount:

US$ 11,520.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 3,200.00

Project Number:

KHM/06/04

Start Date:

1/2006

End Date:

12/2006

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Photo Gallery

Flooded Forest protected by Kompong Pluk community

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Project Characteristics and Results

Capacity - Building Component

It is expected that the project will significantly contribute to the capacity of the ecotourism group members to manage their own operation, to distribute benefits, to manage funds and to organize activities. The group is already showing increased confidence and ability to receive groups of tourists to their satisfaction, even before they have all facilities in place.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Siem Reap received 800 000 tourists last year , of which it is estimated that about 30% came to visit the lake. This interest in the lake environment, village life and culture is expected to grow and there is already a pressure by tourist agencies to provide additional activities. Kompong Phluk will be the first community to provide such service in an organized way and it is estimated that the ecotourism operation in Kompong Phluk will be financially independent within one year of project completion. The entire community-based ecotourism project is an additional sustainable livelihood activity for the fishing community of Kompong Phluk.

Policy Influence

The project has also actively assisted development and promotion of draft community eco-tourist policy and legislation with assistant from APSARA authority. This legislation is approved by the provincial governor but not yet reach to the provincial department of tourist and ministry of tourism. The ability of provincial department and APSARA authority to influence government policy is helpful and this potential depends upon support from other tourist agencies. Unfortunately, the project was not designed to establish the necessary collaboration with other agencies and higher levels within the government to garner this support.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The project will support sustainable community based activities in the flooded forest conservation areas through the development of environmentally sustainable ecotourism activities with local participation and management.

Notable Community Participation

This project is entirely community run and managed. The initiative for the development of ecotourism came from the community and was included in the Community Fisheries Organization Management Plan. In May of this year the community formed a CF eco-tourism sub-committee, consisting of villagers interested in ecotourism. The group leader and activities coordinator is Mr. Ng Ny, who makes decisions together with other sub-committee members. The group is supported by a team consisting of the Provincial Department of Fisheries, Department of Environment, Osmose, FAO and Apsara Authority. The support consists of capacity building meetings and study tours. The ecotourism group and the support team meet every two weeks to discuss activities and emerging issues. The participation of all interested villagers is ensured by involving all village chiefs in the ecotourism. Encouraged by chiefs, villagers joined several roster lists for providing different services to tourists. Roster lists are expected to grow once the ecotourism operation starts bringing in a steady income. The poorest village members were particularly encouraged in getting involved in activities especially those that do not require special skills.

Gender Focus

Women were encouraged to get involved since the beginning of the project and many tourism activities are conducted by women. At the moment, the ecotourism sub-committee has 60% women and many more women are included in the roster lists as service providers.

Project Results

The project contributed to improving livelihood of the people through building the center. There are total 315 people in which 252 women and 21 children get direct benefit from the project. Two main income generation supplement activities provide under project support are cooking for tourist and puddle boat for community tour. 5 people in each cooking group can profit about US$ 1 per $3 tourist?s expenses. There are 3 cooking groups benefit rotationally every day during the tourist season (Sep ? Jan). People do racing puddle boat for tour around the community benefit about $1.5 per day per tourist. 3 puddle boat racing groups with total of 60 households benefit $1 to $1.5 per tourist expend $2. $ 0.5 will charge from the member who uses owned boat and US$ 1 for using community boat per time. The charging amount is putting in the community box for community development activities, helping the poorest, and some social activities. Some times, the community earned fund is using as loan to the member without interest. Even, the project did not reached to target of helping the poorest first but there is reaching to all people in the community but with smallest amount. In addition community could contribute in improving people livelihood, even it is first year implementation project. The community hoping that this center and service would help them out of poverty for next 10 years.

With this project the eco-tourist community could support to 8 times patrolling of the community fisheries and replanting 57 ha of flooded forest. It should remind that the community located in an area of 1,662 ha.

The project has marginally enhanced the institutional and individual capacities within the community and commune level. Two formal and several informal trainings have been provided to 32 community members whom 28 are women. All of them have directly benefited from training/mentoring but the results of this are difficult to assess due to lack of a training plan. Community chief have received extensive mentoring but only a few formal trainings. Furthermore, with this community management, the chief of the community right now nominate and elected to be a chief of commune during 2006 community council election.

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