The Roles of the Pagoda and the Community in
Natural Resources Conservation and Management in Cambodia
Ngim Pheng and Nhanh Sam Oeun
Mennonite Christian Community (MCC) and Sante Sena, Cambodia 1
1. Introduction
Before 1990 in Cambodia, forest covers 73% of the total area of the country. The cover declined in the last ten years and in 2000, the remaining forest covers only 53% of the total area of the country.
Beside the forest in big scale in the mountains, there are also small plot forests (approximately 500 to 2000 ha) in the lowland ecosystem. When Cambodia still has plenty of forest, no one make business on these small plots of forest. However, starting 1990, these small plots of forests are being threatened by deforestation. These forests play important roles in ensuring the stability of the ecosystem and serve the needs of rural people in daily life. The forest is linked with biodiversity in rice field ecosystem and affects soil fertility and population of fish, predator, etc. to ensure the balance in ecosystem. The rural people can also harvest timber for construction purpose and NTFP for food, medicine, wildlife and generating some cash income. So, there is a need for the rural people initiative to protect this forest to ensure their livelihood.
Since some of the forest plots had been deforested, the rural people have to reforest and form institutions within the community to manage it. This is a recent development in forest management in Cambodia and the Pagodas play an important role in this.
2. The Role of the Community in Natural Resources Management in Takeo Province
2.1 The problem:
Because of forest degradation, the farmers living in the forest are faced with a number of problems. Among these are: lack of fuel wood, shortage of rice because of declining soil fertility (severe soil erosion), decrease in income from off farm activity (NTFP collection), difficult in accessing wood or forest products for making farm equipment or for construction purposes, and conflict in the community in accessing forest resources.
2.2 The community forestry project:
To address some of these problems, the Mennonite Christian Community (MCC) started its project in 1992 - community forestry (CF) project in a 500 ha degraded forest in Takeo province. By 1993, the project had produced in its nursery 70000 seedlings of different forest species that was distributed to farmers for planting in their own plots and in community plots. By 1994, CF project had produced 150000 seedlings that were and sold to farmers (at 75riels/seedling) for planting in their individual plots. Ten forest guards in 10 villages were hired to protect the area from the illegal activities. The community was organized and the president and other officers were selected democratically. Between 1996 - 1998, the MCC handed over the management of the CF to the community.
2.3. Some results:
At present, more than 100 species of trees had been planted and are growing in the forest. Wild life population had increased because they the forest ecosystem is now relatively more stable. Farmers living in the area can access some forest resources though their individual and community plots. Through the capacity building activities, the local people had gained more understanding of the importance of biodiversity in the forest in their daily life. Farmers are now starting to grow more fruit trees to augment their income.
2.4. Project sustainability:
As a strategy to ensure the sustainability of the project, MCC had handed over the management of all the activities of the project to the local communities, including among other things, credit and rice bank. This would ensure that the local communities would have funds to continue the project. To better manage the community forestry, various committees within the community had been organized. Community understanding of the importance and role of the CF to conserve and manage natural resources is very high and is empowering to the members of the community. Lately, the local authorities are starting to recognize the role of the CF in managing resources in the forest. The CF had also established links with other international and local organization to share their practical experiences, problems encountered and how they were addressed.
3. The role of the Pagoda in natural resource conservation
3.1. Rational
Cambodia is predominantly a Buddhist country, and Cambodians respect the laws of the Buddhist Pagoda. There are 3731 pagodas in the country and at least half of them are in the rural areas. Each Pagoda have around 200 - 500 families who are followers. Cambodian Buddhists are actively involved in all the events organized by Pagoda. Also, there are 50 873 monks and 11 597 monk students.
3.2. Brief description of the Cambodian Pagoda.
In the rural of Cambodia, the Pagoda is located in the high ground of the village with at least 4 ha of land on the average. Most Pagodas consist of plots of forest and a pond.
The pond in the Pagoda is directly connected to the village rice fields. During the dry season the Pagoda pond is the fish sanctuary and storage. During the rainy season, the fish goes out of the pond into the rice fields.
The forest in Pagoda is host to wild animals and a diversity of plants. The species of plants in Pagoda is the sources of seed for villagers. Villagers in the jurisdiction of the Pagoda can access the different kinds of plants and animals that they can use for food, medicine, fuel wood and other uses.
3.3. Activities of Sante Sena
In 1993, Sante Sena started a reforestation project in 417 ha of degraded forestland. It conducted workshops, study tours and produced leaflets to increase public understanding on natural resource management and conservation. Starting in 1995 to the present, it has collaborated with the government authorities in the conduct of annual meetings at the commune level. The provincial governors (most of them are Buddhists) always provide the monks opportunities to educate the people about the importance of natural resources conservation to the people.
At present, the Sante Sena is continuing its conservation and management of biodiversity in the Pagoda. In one of the Pagodas in Svay Rieng Province where it is active, there are at least 100 species of wild plants, 40 species of wild animal (30 species of wild bird) and more than 50 species of aquatic life. It actively promotes reforestation in public lands. It has a mobile library where resource materials related to the natural resources conservation are kept. The materials are aimed at increasing the understanding of the local people on the value of genetic and natural resources conservation.
3.4. Benefits of the Pagoda to the local people:
The Pagoda will continue to be the source of seeds, other planting materials, fish, wildlife and trees of the village. The forest in the Pagoda is a source of medicinal plants, traditional (e.g., wood) and non-traditional forest products (e.g. mushrooms, honey, etc.). It also reduces soil erosion in the village. A well maintained Pagoda in the village is not only a place for religious purposes but also as tourist's site and meeting place where important decisions regarding the community are made
3.5. Problems and plans
The process of utilizing the Pagoda for biodiversity conservation is will take more time that expected. Reasons for this are numerous: the education of farmers is low in Cambodia, awareness among stakeholders is low and fund limitations prevent the up- and out-scaling of successful experiences. Despite the potential in its approach, Sante Sena is working in only in 10 village involving two Pagodas.
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