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PRESS RELEASE:
Save Cambodia’s Wildlife (SCW) with partner ForumSyd and financial support from the Embassy of Sweden is proud to announce the cooperation under the new project “Increasing community access, control and sustainable use of natural resources and community climate change resilience”.
The project is set for 2.5 years until the end of 2019 in the target area of Ratanakiri in Northern Cambodia. Over 39,600 people in 6 Community Protected (CPAs) areas and 14 Community Fisheries (CFis) in 63 villages will benefit from SCW’s action.
The signing ceremony took place on 31 March 2017 in Phnom Penh. More than 40 guests attended the event, which was presided over by Mr. KHIENG Sochivy, ForumSyd Country Manager.
SCW’s mission under “Go! Green Ownership” is to promote active participation of vulnerable indigenous communities and duty bearers in sustainable management of fishery and forestry resources and in climate change adaptation.
Background to the project
Ratanakiri is one of the most vulnerable provinces with over 40% poverty rate, mainly caused by unsustainable and insufficient access to natural resources and negative impacts of climate change. Alongside the high deforestation rate, Cambodia is experiencing huge pressure on native flora and fauna. Limited participation in protection and conservation activities due to lack of knowledge and capacity, especially by women and youth, make the already difficult situation worse. Limited cooperation and participation by duty bearers and local authorities further add to the problem.
Message from SCW Executive Director
“Cambodia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, which highly impacts climate change, biodiversity and the living condition of local people. Save Cambodia’s Wildlife would like to see all people contributing to the protection of the forest. Because our forest is our life and our future. Join our journey to build a greener future together!”
Mr. TEP Boonny
Executive Director, Save Cambodia’s Wildlife
About SCW
SCW is a Cambodian not-for-profit, non-partisan, civil society organization, which serves the public in the fields of wildlife conservation, natural resource management, and environmental protection, including concerns and effects of climate change. SCW was founded in 1999, and officially registered with Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior in 2002.
Over the last 15 years (by the end of 2016):
– SCW has been working directly on the protection of over 38,400 hectare of forest. That’s 52,000 soccer fields!
– In total, these efforts contributed to the conservation of more than 510,700 hectare of forest and wildlife habitat. That’s over 690,000 soccer fields!
– SCW established 13 Community Protected Areas (CPAs) – 7 in the North-East and 6 along the coastal zone – and continues supporting them.
SCW has been highly successful with a range of projects including the provision of technical support and increasing environmental awareness among the general public through teaching programs, publications, and environmental awareness campaigns. SCW has been working on a firm belief that providing education and increasing public awareness in environmental issues are fundamental to conservation. Therefore our primary focus has been on education as a key to conservation. We continue to address environmental issues by disseminating accurate information and knowledge to the local communities and other stakeholders and networking among them.
