Introduction

1. Forestry Community in CambodiaWorkshop on Community Organizing in … Province, Thailand06-08 August 2009Prepared by Von Monin, Dean of Forestry FacultyRoyal University of Agriculture

2. Introduction • Cambodia is fortunate in having extensive areas of valuable natural tropical forest. • The forest have been seen a source of timber or wood for charcoal or fuel wood.In recent years, more attention has been paid to the importance of non-timber forest products, including plants for food and medicinal proposes, rattan, bamboo, resins and honey, as well as services such as water conservation and recreation.

3. As a natural renewable resource, forest have contributed significantly to socio-economic development. • During three decades, the Cambodia’s forest cover have been changed from 13,227,000 ha to 10, 638,209 ha. • Forest degradation have been caused by illegal logging and rising demands for fuel wood and agricultural land, growth of population and an increasing number of development programs.

4. Changes in Forest area • There are two main forest categories were classified in Cambodia: Dry Land Forest and Edaphic forest.Base on data analysis on Forest cover Monitoring in subsequent year, Using Satellite Imageries and GIS, the forest cover of Cambodia have been change during 30 year (1967-1997) as below: • Forest Cover declined from 13,227,000 ha = 73% to 10,638,209ha = 58.6% ( -14.4%) or about 0.48% per annum were lossed.

5. Non-Forest areas increased from 27% to 41.4% (+14.4%).The Intention change in Forest Land Use (1993-1997) to non-forest area was about 3.4%.The main change were urban, rice field and shrub land areas, which were modified from main forest type.

6. Reforestation • Sustainable forest management is a key issue for sustainable development of Cambodia, and in order to achieve it, it is important to rehabilitate forest resources in degraded forest and deforested areas as well as to conserve and utilize rich natural forest • Reforestation were allocated throughout country,especially on the forest reserve were listed before 1970.

7. Forestry Administration have established 28 Forest Plantation Stations(FPS) with the total area amount 108,453ha, from 1985 to 2008, all FPS planted amount 10,298ha. • Selected species for planting are exotic and local species with suitable degraded forest and grass land. • Education and awareness programs started from 1986 in the order to participation by local people, the programs includes planting at public sites during the Nation Arbor Day and distributed seedling to the farmers and stakeholders.From 1986 –2008,the total area is 818 ha and 21,150,610 seedlings.

8. Community Forestry • CF includes any forestry activity that intimately involves local people. • CF focus on woodlot development in area which are short of fuel wood and other forest products to traditional management. • CF manages tree growing at farm level and processing of forest products to generate income at the household or small industry level. • CF consisted 153 at 16 provinces and they located on the forest land amount 62,798 ha.

9. Participate in CF includes 48,898 families and equally amount 209,266 people. • The Sub-degree of CF have been approved by the Council Ministry on 17 /10/03. • The regulations and guidelines of CF on going and submitted to MAFF.

10. Forest Policy • For the achievement of the goals of environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction, economic development, and good governance, the RGC will endeavor to accomplish the following tasks: • Forest Resource Conservation • Good Governance • Socio-Economic development. • Poverty Reduction.

11. Community Forestry Organization • The reason of CF Establishment - Rapid decrease of forest resources - Rapid growth of population - Royal Government Cambodia reform policy - Good governance in Forest Resources

12. The Importance of CF - Giving an opportunity to local community to participate in Forest Management, - Provide the Right to local community/ forest user - Building capacity of local people - Improve local people livelihood - Improve more & better cooperation btw local people and technical Institution, - Contribute to improve decentralization and local improvement

13. The Different type of community-based forest management - CF in Forest concession area - CF in degraded forest - CF in semi-dense forest - Community in protected area (PA) - CF in bare land area

14. Key Factor of CF Establishment - Actual local participation - Facilitator communities and skill - Support from authority and technical Institution - Partnership approach

15. The process of CF establishment • The Action Research in CF • Method of AR - forming research team - Data Collection • The Information Require for CF Establishment • The importance of information to presenting to local people and analysis, • Select the target area for CF Establishment, • The forming village for CF participation, • The CF management structure formulation,

16. The management capacity built CF • Implementation CF boundary demarcation • The Development CF Statute • Develop internal rule of CF management Committee (CFCM) • Develop CF Agreement • Develop CF management plan • M & E mechanism identification

17. Recommendation • Capacity building through implementing are necessary. • Establish sustainable development criteria and priority areas for CF development • Giving high priority to reforestation, which will include large-scale plantation and CF. • Network building among entities interested in CF btw Cambodia & in regional.