The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS) REDD+ Project has a world-class, long-term biodiversity monitoring program. Core to this is program is a distance sampling line transect methodology, which provides estimates of key species abundance, distribution, and population trends for six primate species, six ungulate species, and one bird species.
The Jahoo Gibbon Camp is a community-based ecotourism venture developed in partnership with local tour operators. This venture empowers community members to engage in the conservation of globally threatened primate species by providing a sustainable income stream. The wildlife sanctuary is home to 5 primate species, including the IUCN Red List endangered yellow-cheeked crested gibbon […]
Community members have the opportunity to actively protect their land rights and natural resources through the Community Patrol Units (CPUs). The CPUs are supported by DoE (Department of Environment) rangers to ensure effective enforcement of forestry laws; 8 units are currently active across 20 villages in the project zone. CPU teams receive regular training on […]
With carbon credit sales made throughout 2021, the project has expanded its impact and scale through the distribution of grantsto selected partners with sector-specific expertise for strategic activities, accelerating implementation versus developing new internal teams to address these activities. Community benefit sharing is also expanding, with more than 100 community-led development activities funded by REDD+ during this period. Core project activities continue to make progress, with another community awarded legal rights to 872 ha for management as a Community Protected Area.
IBIS Rice is a Wildlife Conservation Society initiative unique to the Northern Plains, successfully connecting conservation outcomes with economic incentives. Launched in 2010, it provides communities motivation to engage in conservation, offering 1,500 wildlife-friendly farmers a premium for organic jasmine rice.
The first half of 2021 has been filled with exciting opportunities for growth and prosperity at the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. With significant funding from the sale of Verified Emissions Reductions, the Keo Seima REDD+ Project is working on an ambitious strategy to scale its forest conservation and community development initiatives, has developed financial guidelines to streamline communities’ use of the REDD+ benefit sharing funds, and has had the success of another Community Protected Area for a Bunong Indigenous village approved.
Defending the traditional rights of Indigenous Bunong people by securing community land titles is a core conservation strategy of the Keo Seima REDD+ project.
The Keo Seima REDD+ Project lies on the frontier of a deforestation wave that has devastated the surrounding landscape in recent years – including the total loss of the nearby Snoul Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2020, the repatriation of over 100,000 Cambodians working overseas due to COVID-19 put even greater pressure on the forest, increasing internal migration as people sought opportunities to meet their urgent livelihoods needs.
The population of 11 key species in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS) were monitored between 2010 — 2020 using line transects. The report shows that populations of green peafowl and pig-tailed macaque are increasing, that populations of black-shanked douc langur, yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, long-tailed macaque, and wild pig are stable, and that populations of Germain’s silvered langur, stump-tailed
macaque, and all ungulates except wild pig are decreasing. More than 80% of species trends matched or improved on the anticipated trends set in 2010 in the REDD+ Project Document. These results highlight the success and impacts of the project, while spotlighting where new conservation interventions are most urgently needed.
Although some field activities were delayed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quarter nonetheless brought impressive results on the ground. The community’s engagement in the REDD+ project was at the center of the work: An additional 14 Community Patrol Teams were established, trained and equipped, while communities have begun to adopt Ibis rice as a value-adding source of income. And the wildlife monitoring team completed their field data collection, walking a total of 1,260 km over hilly terrain in hot weather.