It is my pleasure to be here with you today to welcome you all to the launch of the “Strengthening Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Project”.
The project is a partnership between the Royal Government of Cambodia, the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility (known as GEF) to support the implementation of sustainable forestry activities in connection to three inter-related issues:
(i) biodiversity conservation,
(ii) land degradation and (iii) the fight against climate change.
Indeed, Sustainable Forest Management in Cambodia can be achieved through a number of inter-related interventions at the center of which is the empowerment of local communities to manage and utilize forests in a sustainable way.
The Sustainable Forest Management entails three inter-linked objectives:
(1) The project will support and accelerate different models of ‘’community forestry’’ and ‘’Community Protected Areas’’ at the same time in four provinces in the Cardamom region.
(2) This approach will be combined with the production of improved wood stoves to reduce the amount of wood used for fuel and reduce Green House Gas emissions into the atmosphere.
(3) The project also aims to help strengthen the regulatory framework for SFM and demonstrate its synergy with the UN REDD programme to create:
(i) a supportive legal framework for SFM and financial strategies in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment,
(ii) as well as opening up opportunities for REDD and carbon financing for sustained increase in funds to support community-based forestry
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Amid the increasing impact of climate change and the loss of biodiversity around the globe, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests. In Cambodia this will translate into activities meant to:
(i) raise awareness on sustainable forest management,
(ii) and emphasize how this can contribute significantly to sustainable development, poverty eradication and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and
(iii) help the Government achieve one of the main Cambodia Millennium Development Goals targets to maintain 60% forest cover.
In Cambodia, forest resources contribute from 30% to 40% of total household livelihood of rural people. However, the country’s forests have suffered from deforestation and degradation caused by the rapid pace of development in the country, including large-scale agro-industrial development. If communities are poor, it is difficult for them to engage in forest management if there is no return. Communities need to derive visible benefits from SFM within a short time period (ideally 1 or 2 years), or we need to have complementary activities that support livelihoods while the forest gradually is restored.
The government is tackling the problems, having recently published programmes and regulatory frameworks in this respect:
(1) the new National Forest Programme (2010), in particular its program 4: the National Community Forestry Programme
(2) the National Action Programme to combat land degradation which is being developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and
(3) the Protected Area Law with its call for Community Protected Areas implemented by the Ministry of Environment.
The Sustainable Forest Management Project will support implementation of these policies working at a selected number of the 441 Community Forests sites and 98 ’Community Protected Areas (CPAs) in Cambodia. The SFM project’s geographical focus is in the 4 provinces of the Cardamom region. This focus is in line with the recommendations made by Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen at the Direction Setting Conference for 2011-2012, where last month he recommended that we must preserve forest resources in particular in and around the Cardamom Mountains in order to sustain the hydrological functions of the watersheds for hydro-electricity generation and maintain the beautiful scenery and environment for the development of eco-tourism.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
Within the policy framework of the National Forest Programme and the Rectangular Strategy, the Sustainable Forest Management project will engage 1) with the Forest Administration as the implementing partner and 2) engage with NGOs to carry out field implementation. 3) It will also work with the General Department Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection of the Ministry of Environment and other government agencies, development partners, and 4) with civil society/ local communities and the private sector for the same goals.
The project will interact closely with the National Community Forestry Program Coordinating Committee to enhance stakeholder participation, and we look forward to working with other development partners such as the EU, DANIDA, JICA, USAID to build synergy and to complement other programmes and projects on the ground. In particular, we are aware that a number of projects supported by development partners will be carried out in the same provinces and look forward to collaborating with them for successful results.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In closing, I would like to thank all the participants who have taken the time to join us in today’s launch.
We are very pleased to see representatives from the ministries, development partners, provincial, local authorities and NGOs, which confirms our shared concern and commitment to address forest degradation and improve sustainable forest management in Cambodia.
I wish you the best of success in these important endeavours over the course of the coming months and in years to come.
Thank you!
