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I. General Information:
II. The Project
Samlaut Demography: The Samlaut district is located on the Cambodian – Thai border within an isolated portion of far western Cambodia (see Map 1), 86 km south-west of Battambang provincial town. It occupies a total area of approximately 1,803 km2. 60% of the area are covered with forest and mountains. There are 5,706 families, (27,311 inhabitants; 13,366 of them are female) residing in this district. Main incomes of these inhabitants are tropical agriculture cultivation. The district consists of 7 communes and 49 villages. Agriculture Opportunity: Heavy agricultural encroachment and forest clearing is largely limited to the lowlands near the district head quarter. It is observed that logging impacts are burdened and extensive; a large portion of the forest which should be protected for long term use within the community has already been cleared. Logging, which particularly took place between 2002 and now, has resulted in the conversion of many lowland evergreen forest areas into secondary ones. Logging has seen to be continued due to poor (reluctantly) forestry law enforcement, and even mountains have also been encroached for agricultural cultivation. Natural rivers and streams are the main sources of water supply to local farming in the district. Due to climate changes, forest destruction and no appropriate water management mechanism in the area, an inadequate of water for agriculture cultivation becoming significant. It is noticed that land encroachment has resulted in a dramatic degradation of soil. In consequence this unbalance forest has changed the level of the stream and turned into heavily silt-loaded channels all over the area. Moreover, the heavy and deforestation has also led to complete change of climate, including rainfall and prolonged dry season which caused the draught in the planting season and flooding during the harvesting. Noticeably, these problems continued to exist since 2003 to the current year. Development Feasibility: After the political reintegration of former Khmer Rouge group with the Royal Cambodian Government, many people from outside the region have migrated to settle in this area to seek for better life support through agricultural opportunities, illegal logging and gem-mining. A Commune Poverty Assessment (CPA) indicates that Samlaut is amongst the poorest areas in the country. Furthermore, the "poverty gap between rich and poor" is one of the greatest challenges in the country, particularly within this area. The agricultural productivity of Samlaut district is potentially very high because the quality and characteristic of soils are very good. The productions and their marketing are also met to range where both directions, to Thailand as well as in country. The improvement of village livelihood through sustainable agricultural development faced a number of obstacles within recent years. These obstacles are in series ranged from food insecurity, inadequate equipment for agricultural development, limited capacity for production, capacity to manage over their productions and dealt with market-related opportunities. Road accessibility and transportation are also contributing to the limitation of productivity. During the harvest season villagers need to transport their agriculture products to the main or available market where they can sell for better prices, but instead the transportation cost alone eats most of their potential income. Target Villages: This proposed project is intended to work within three primarily targeted villages: 1 - Kompong Tuk, 2 - Ampip and 3 - Tanon village of Meanchey commune, Samlaut district, Battambang province (see Map 1). There are 260 families (1,286 inhabitants) and 100% of them are farmers whose main income completely relies on cash crop planting such as corn, soybean, peanut, sesame and rice. The total land of the targeted area is 17,392 hectares of which 9,327 hectares are forest and 6,765 hectares are mountains, while the remaining area is available for agriculture cultivation. Based on data collection, an average of 3–5 hectares are allocated for housing and farming purpose per family. But the actual cleared size for agricultural and other land-use appears to be half of a hectare or one hectare only that each family can manage to clear for residing and plantation. The data also reveals that most families own a temporary land-ownership paper which was issued by commune authorities or some people have no document at all related to land ownership. There is no official land certification that is officially recognized by law. There is a significant risk for villagers' land possession to be undermined by high ranking Generals or State Officers in the region. If it is to be concentrating on long term sustainable development and to avoid the legitimate investors to invade the areas once the access of the areas is well-developed and improved, the project will have to identify and involve with relevant provincial departments in dealing with land tenure issue. Department of Land Management, Urban Planning, Construction and Cadastre In this case, the project works in cooperation with provincial Department of Land Management, Urban Planning, Construction and Cadastre (DLMUPCC), whose main role is to coordinate and facilitate the land certificate and proper registration/ownership. This effort will serve in two different folds: one is to offer the villagers with land ownership to avoid the illegal confiscation (take away) by the unlawful officials; and two is to contribute to the reduction or cessation of further forest encroachment in the region and consequently it is to avoid a possible land dispute that may occur in the future. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: In relation to the administration and management of forest, the project will also include the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in this proposal to determine interaction within the management, set up and recognition of legal Community Forestry Association at community level. At least the project will extensively involve this department as project counterpart whose main responsibilities are to technically support to set up Community Forestry, facilitate for their legal recognition and cooperate in forest management, resource withdrawal and designation for the protection. This process will be undertaken immediately after the proposal is approved. Traditional culture of Cambodian, females headed households are likely to experience a lack of mobility due to child-minding responsibilities; lack of time to earn income due to domestic responsibility; difficulty in achieving self-support and concern with physical security etc. The project will encourage and motivate women to participate in all process of the project activities. CVD will especially consider females to role in facilitating within their groups as leader, and they will be representing or being the lead in actions toward their community development. The encouragement and capacity building especially for woman is crucially important to both men and women and the community as the whole. 2) 3 Community Forestries will be formed (1 per targeted village), and they will be self management and utilization of the protected forest by the end of the project life. The project plans to set up Self-Help Group within the Community Forestry where the activities aim at building capacity of group members, representatives and relevant authorities in various skills in which they could lead to better and effective project management, work plan, resources management, natural composed fertilizer and group facilitation after the project phase-out. In order to meet the continuation, multiplication of crops cultivation, the project identifies to have at least some pump-well and small dams installed within the local areas. This is to make availability and secure water in local stream to meet local resource management effectively. These outputs help to moisturize soil, green the surrounding environment, and they allow the villagers to have access to water throughout the year. 1.2 Conduct 6 community meetings and 6 trainings on self-help group concept 1.3 On going monitoring/facilitating groups' work 1.4 Establishment and operation of revolving funds and link it to development assistance requirements for self-help 1.5 Institute concept, operating procedures of saving for the groups. 1.6 Set up animal banks for groups so they get support on land preparation for cultivation. 1.7 Support seed to assist the group members 1.8 Training on group planning skills, resources mobility and management, small scale credit scheme training, loan/saving management and compose fertilizer 1.9 Promote collective marketing of local crop products (community market) 1.10 Install pump-well small irrigation system and construct dam in targeted villages and streams. 2.2 Conduct 8 workshop at district and commune level on the values community forestry 2.3 Execute 18 trainings for target community to present details of the broad range of protection and reforestation and its benefits. 2.4 At least 7 surrounding villages receive environmental awareness training 2.5 1 study tour for Community Forestry representatives to existing similar association 2.6 Conduct 1 group discussion on environmental issue (different topic each time) once every month throughout the project life at commune level. 2.7 Participate at least 1 Earth-Day celebration in 3 targeted villages The reforestation capacity and recommendation of species will be identified following the baseline biological surveys and with advice from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. A nursery is to be established within the target villages to provide a focus for the development of the reforestation program. Fruit trees will be provided to target beneficiaries so that they can plant them close to their house. Tree species for constructions will be requested from the provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to provide to the community forestry to replant in the area where needed. Support for key management and the establishment of a complementary planning process is prerequisite to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of any management intervention. This component therefore seeks to facilitate this by linkage to all government partners and the implementing NGO and its stakeholders through a joint project execution and the establishment of clear common understanding, roles and responsibility of each institution. 3.2. Proceeding and formation for legal document from village – provincial level and to the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery 3.3. Physical boundaries and demarcation of the established community forests 3.4. Develop relevant regulations and restrictions. 3.5. Group formation and community leader selection 3.6. Capacity building on group leaders and members 3.7. Assign role and responsibility of community leader and members 3.8. Nursery establishment and production of fruit tree seedlings 3.9. Development of core nursery management and training capabilities 3.10. Propagation of fruit trees and other trees of agricultural importance. 3.11. Propagation of forest trees and other plants of ecological significance. 3.12. Proceeding the requisition for land tenure certification 3.13. Fire control and prevention 3.14. Managing wood harvesting, the current/future use of forest areas including tree species type, density, height 3.15. Confiscates of illegal materials when logging is found in the protected areas 3.16. Arrests offenders and court processing (community forestry). 3.17. Review progress achieving the objectives of the community forestry project to identify issues and constraints on the long term success of the project, and to make recommendation on future actions or activities needed to overcome these constraints. |
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Cambodian Vision in Development
Battambang, Cambodia