SOUTHERN CARDAMOM, CAMBODIA
SUMMARY
The Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project protects 497,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in South-West Cambodia which is globally significant for wildlife conservation, ecosystem servicing, and community livelihoods. The project uses global best practices of forest protection and community development to safeguard the forest and prevent more than 3,000,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
THE PROBLEM
Wildlife Alliance came to the Cardamom Rainforest Landscape in 2001 to conduct emergency interventions during an elephant and tiger hunting crisis during which 29 tigers and 38 Asian elephant had been poached following the construction of a new highway through the landscape to Thailand. Anarchic slash-burn cultivation was also destroying thousands of hectares of forest per month. The Cardamom Rainforest was on the brink of destruction. Following our success in reducing these threats we were asked by the Royal Government of Cambodia to design and help implement a long term Protected Area Management Plan to protect the landscape, its forests, and wildlife. Since 2014 threats to the Cardamoms have accelerated driven by the massive recent Chinese investment in Cambodia which is part of China’s national Belt and Road Initiative. This required a more intensive response.
MILESTONES TO DATE
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200% increase in agricultural productivity and 300% income increase for families in Community Agricultural Development Project
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50 community scholarships for secondary education in 2012
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Asia’s most prominent female conservation CEO
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Over 50% of management positions in Community Based Ecotourism and Agricultural Development projects are female
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3,580,034 tons of annual avoided carbon emissions
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497,000 hectares of High Conservation Value tropical forests
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54 IUCN Threatened Species of bird, mammal, and reptiles
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6,749 live wildlife rescued (lifetime of project to 2020)
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5,432 chainsaws confiscated (lifetime of project to 2020)
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6,190 illegal hunting camps dismantled (lifetime of project to 2020)
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301,816 illegal hunting snares destroyed (lifetime of project to 2020)
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Zero poaching of the Asian elephant since 2006
THE SOLUTION
In 2012, Wildlife Works learned of Wildlife Alliance's hard work and challenges in protecting this forest. After leading the REDD+ feasibility study with Wildlife Alliance for the Southern Cardamom Rainforest Landscape, Wildlife Works saw the intense commitment to forest protection and its work with local communities. In 2016, Wildlife Works and Wildlife Alliance established the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project in partnership with Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment. Through the sales of the project's REDD+ credits, Wildlife Alliance is now able to fund their work on the ground and implement a direct threat-based approach to safeguarding wildlife and securing intact forest ecosystems. Under the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project, they partner with governments and communities to effectively protect the forest and give communities the opportunity to generate sustainable incomes. Wildlife Alliance currently works with more than 15 villages across the landscape to implement sustainable Community Based Ecotourism.
Wildlife Alliance leads a uniquely effective boots-on-the-ground law enforcement model which focuses on professional, trained, supervised, equipped, and mentored law enforcement rangers. In partnership with the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, they currently operate across 8,347-km2 of the Cardamom Rainforest Landscape with 131 rangers active 24/7. We currently serve as technical advisors for this project, performing carbon accounting and producing technical documentation.
SCORECARD
The action-oriented and results-based approach of the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project has achieved demonstrable conservation results: the Cardamoms are the best protected body of rainforest in the region and we have significantly reduced deforestation (<0.3% annual deforestation compared to the National average of 3.8% annually between 2013 and 2018), achieved Zero Poaching of Asian Elephant since 2006, and supported the recovery of populations of ungulates and carnivores.
Wildlife Alliance's community projects directly benefit 29,000 forest dependent villagers from 15 communities and our award-winning model of Community Based Ecotourism is regarded as the best practice for community driven bottom-up conservation in tropical Asia.
In 2018, our rangers patrolled 129,415-km, seized 2,039 logs and 325m3 of luxury timber, destroyed 19,986 illegal hunting snares, rescued 383 live animals from illegal wildlife traders, and confiscated 553 chainsaws. As a result of this action, our Judicial Police Officer rangers filed 144 court cases against forest and wildlife criminals.
In December 2018 the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project was validated and verified (for 2015-2017 period) under of the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard at Gold level.
