>80,000 people with improved access to clean water

Water resources in the Cardamom rainforest landscape have been drying up over the past decade as a result of climate change and deforestation. Families in some communities have to travel up to 5-km to collect safe drinking water from one of the few operational wells as the only other safe alternative is purchasing very expensive bottled water. Some community members have even resorted to collecting nearby river water, which is very often tainted by chemicals originating from upstream plantations. Through the reduction of deforestation, management of the project zone watershed and installation of water wells, >80,000 people living in the area have access to water resources. In 2021 alone, 18 solar-powered water wells have been distributed to 423 families in 2021 with a further 25 wells scheduled to be completed in 2022. These wells will be further distributed through 7 communes in 11 villages in and around the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project area.