When Wildlife Alliance began working in the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia two decades ago, the remote commune of Chi Phat was known as a hub of wildlife smuggling and illegal logging. An appraisal of the region’s resources and economic development options spotlighted tourism as the best opportunity to preserve the vulnerable ecosystem and partner with […]
It is common for community members in rural Cambodia to travel many kilometers by foot or pay prohibitive prices to access drinking water. The project has provided access to freshwater supply through the installation of 43 modern wells in 7 communities. These wells provide water for drinking, agriculture, livestock and local wildlife using modern technology […]
When Wildlife Alliance began working in the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia two decades ago, the remote commune of Chi Phat was known as a hub of wildlife smuggling and illegal logging. An appraisal of the region’s resources and economic development options spotlighted tourism as the best opportunity to preserve the vulnerable ecosystem and partner with communities to provide a better livelihood.
When Wildlife Alliance began working in the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia two decades ago, the remote commune of Chi Phat was known as a hub of wildlife smuggling and illegal logging. An appraisal of the region’s resources and economic development options spotlighted tourism as the best opportunity to preserve the vulnerable ecosystem and partner with communities to provide a better livelihood.
argeted infrastructure projects have been initiated across Chi Phat, Sovanna Baitong, Bak Angrut, O’Som and Chomna villages, including the provision of new roads, bridges, water wells, schools and a medical centre. Additional funding has been allocated to support higher education opportunities, establish a tiger recovery centre and address the snaring crisis through the expansion of the ranger and Community Anti-Poaching Unit programs.
Wildlife Alliance has been active across the Cardamom Rainforest Landscape since 2001, working with local governments and communities both prior to and since the inception of the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project in 2015. The foundation of the project’s conservation work is its unique boots-on-the-ground enforcement, which is critical for effective protected area management in this extremely threatened landscape.
The Southern Cardamom REDD+ project has intensified efforts to improve local infrastructure in the project area, provide financial assistance in response to COVID-19, and help secure land rights through demarcation. The Project has focused on helping communities by providing tangible public benefits, which in turn increases people’s understanding of how keeping the forest standing benefits them directly.
The Cardamom mountains have long suffered from a hunting and poaching crisis, alongside habitat destruction due to slash-and-burn agriculture and land speculation. The REDD+ project established an award-winning conservation model centered around effective boots-on-the-ground protection of this highly threatened forest area. Since 2006, the project has achieved zero poaching of Asian elephants and supported significant […]
The project has developed a system of rescue, care and release to provide the best possible outcome for the traumatized or injured wild animals that are the victims of this poaching within the Cardamoms region. The Cardamom Forest Protection Program (CFPP) units operate across the Project Zone removing snares from the forest floor, rescuing wild […]
In 2020, the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project continued to face, and face down, an unrelenting series of threats to the forest and its wildlife, while providing communities with crucial support in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Ranging from small scale poaching to large scale corrupt land-grabbing, the project has tirelessly defended the highly threatened Cardamom forest.
