BACKGROUND INFORMATION Cambodia sits in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia. The fertile plains of the Mekong River, and the rich forests of northwest and southeast Cambodia have supported great kingdoms over the centuries. In the Tonle Sap lake shores once flourished the ancient Khmer civilization. Decades of civil war, political instability and corruption put great pressures on these important resources however. From 1969 to 1997, it is estimated that 2.6 million hectares of Cambodia's forests were felled, with forest cover declining from 73 percent to an estimated 35 percent of the land area. The existing Cambodian Forest Law grants all forestland to the state. This covers nearly 80 percent of the country and falls under the management of the Department of Forest and Wildlife and the Ministry of Environment. Nearly 40 percent of Cambodia's total land area has been allocated to large timber concessions, many of them joint ventures between local elites and mainly Thai corporations. This has caused heavy toll on the forest and communities dependent on it. The Tonle Sap's survival, meanwhile, is dependent on how well surrounding forests are managed. Already, the lake suffers heavily from intensifying agricultural activities that lead to clearing of flooded fisheries habitat. Fishery resources are over-exploited. Comprised largely of open water, Tonle Sap is also home to about 450,000 hectares (as of 1997) of flood forest and shrubland. A critical habitat to more than 100 species of fish, Tonle Sap supports one of the most productive freshwater fisheries in the world, with annual catch of 230,000 tons or about half the country's total fish production. Aside from providing local villages firewood, construction materials and other non-timber products, the inundated forests - especially shrub forests - serve as spawning ground for fish. The Department of Fisheries looks after resource management in the lake. Reforms have been initiated to address these problems. Since the mid-1990's, the World Bank has supported the Cambodian central government on a national forest policy reform project. In 1996, a sub-decree was drafted to support and encourage community involvement in forest management. This has yet to be enacted as of 2002. In the fisheries sector, sub-decrees were released ordering a reduction to 56 percent of private commercial fishing zones to protect the interests of marginalized fishing communities. Local small-scale fishers have been mandated to set up and manage community fisheries in their areas, but many communities are currently ill-equipped to handle the new responsibilities turned over to them.

NATURE OF COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT In Cambodia, CFM can mean two things: (1) Community Forest Management or (2) Community Fisheries Management. In northern Cambodia, fish and forest resources are closely interrelated because of the Great Tonle Sap, a lake that expands to 1.25 million hectares during the wet season, four times its dry season size. The flood forests of Tonle Sap are critical in the overall fishery resource management as they serve as spawning ground for fish. They also provide villagers with firewood, construction materials and other non-timber products. What is community management? Communities relating to Tonle Sap are engaged predominantly in either fishing or farming. In the fisheries context, community management is broadly defined as a voluntary partnership among stakeholders, including village members, relevant authorities and commercial fishers, with the objective of sustainable fisheries resource management for the benefit of all stakeholders. In the forestry context, community management is an effort of NGOs and government programs to support villages and communes in improving forest access, encouraging sustainable practices, harnessing local skills and empowering them to participate in decision-making. Where are the CFM areas? The 162 community fisheries activities refer to projects under NGOs and government programs working to assist communities in developing management plans for fishing lots released from private concession holders for use in local subsistence. The 237 community forestry activities refer to projects under NGOs and government programs supporting local efforts in community management, of which only 156 CF activities have been verified by CFWG. Several community forestry projects cover small areas, often near pagodas where the focus is on regenerating the forest for spiritual, recreational and aesthetic purposes rather than improving available forest resources for local use.

POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION ENVIRONMENT Several government offices hold policy implementation responsibility over the different natural resources in the Tonle Sap: The Department of Fisheries for the fish, the Department of Forestry and Wildlife for the flood forests, and the Ministry of Environment for government-declared protected areas. In the fisheries sector, the Cambodian government released the Community Fisheries Sub-Decree in 2001 ordering a 56% reduction (over 500,000 hectares) of private commercial fishing zones for transfer to community management. Local small-scale fishers have been mandated to draw up community fisheries agreements and plans for their areas in coordination with the Department of Fisheries and Provincial Fisheries Offices. A Fisheries Law is being drafted to replace the existing 1987 Fiat Law that sets out rules for access, user rights, boundaries, authorities and enforcement. The Forestry Law (2001) governs the forest sector. Related policies include the Forest Concession Management Sub-Decree (2000) and the Prakas on Suspension of Forest Concession Logging Activities effective January 2002. A Community Forestry Sub-decree is being drafted since 2001 but is yet to be passed. Meanwhile, a Community Forestry Unit has been established under the Reforestation Office of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife.

LOCAL CONTEXTS [click maps to enlarge - new window] TONLE SAP Touk Meas and Korng Rey Mountains, Kampong Leng District, Kampong Chhnang Province CFM establishment in Kampong Leng is part of DFW's process for testing a national CF manual. In a provincial CF network meeting in 2002, Korng Rey and Tuk Meas were selected as potential areas for establishing CFM. Five communes relating directly with these areas were identified as the primary stakeholders. Baseline information on people and natural resources were obtained through participatory dialogue and mapping methods. The purpose is two-fold: (1) to assist communes in CFM and (2) to re-work the manual based on lessons learned in the course of assisting the communes. In December 2002, the information was presented for validation by the district level CF network. DFW's next steps in the area are to develop a natural resource management plan with the commune councils, disseminate information on CFM policies, and negotiate to organize CF with the local people. According to DFW/CFU Chief Lao Sethaphal, the strategy is "to partner with many organizations that have mandates and activities to support local people, talk not only about forest but also its interrelation with other natural resources, and see what each can contribute to natural resource management." People are no longer afraid to explore upland forests and clear areas for shifting cultivation with landmines mostly gone after having been tripped over by animals. People from outside the district also come to the flood forests for fuelwood and fishing. However, in the past four years, they have been experiencing severe droughts and floods. During these times when there is less rice and fish to eat, they go to the forest in search for food. Water during the dry season is scarce; people are always busy collecting water for drinking and washing. Fishing Lots #3 and #5, Ek Phnom District, Battambang Province When Fishing lots #3 and #5 were released for public access in 2001, illegal fishing increased in the area. The formation of Community Fisheries Committees (CFCs) for each village in the Koh Chiveang and Prey Chas Communes has greatly curbed illegal fishing activities. Members of CFCs were elected. Each village CFC holds monthly meetings to discuss concerns like illegal fishing and facilitate further understanding of community fisheries management. Commune and province level coordination meetings with the Provincial Fisheries Office, Provincial Environment Office, and local authorities (district governor, commune chief, village chief, police commander, and soldiers) are also held to share updates and provide feedback on CFC activities and the fisheries situation in general. In 2003, the CF by-laws were adopted among village members after several months of discussions. The main activity of CF members is patrolling their area against illegal fishing practices, improving the stream assigned for fish sanctuary, and disseminating information on what fishing gears are allowed, season when they are allowed, what types of gear are prohibited and the penalties for violators. Mr. Sourn, a monk in Prek Toal Village explained the importance of the link between fish and forest: "It is good strategy to take care of the forest so that it will take care of the fish because fish live in the forest. Forest can feed people many times. Firewood, house, fish nest - All help people to live. Some people do not care about the future. Only about profit for the present. Sudden increase in profit can benefit them now. But in the future, we all have no more." Kampong Phluk Commune, Siem Reap Province Kampong Phluk's forest has been under stress from expanding agricultural production and fishing lot operations causing heavy decline in forest cover since the 1930s. But one unique characteristic found in the commune is its history of local resource management. In 2000, the Royal Government of Cambodia abolished fishing lots 4 and 5 and released the area for community fisheries. As a result Kampong Phluk communities gained nearly 15,906 ha of fisheries domain for community fisheries management. In 2001, they were organized as Kampong Phluk Community Fisheries, elected a new management committee. New rules and regulations were drafted and subsequently approved by the provincial governor in late 2001. They cover matters involving responsibilities and rights of community members, prohibitions and fining systems and description of legal and illegal fishing gear and practices. Management control issues confronting Kampong Phluk today include the use of illegal fishing gear, forest conversion for agriculture, fuel wood harvesting by outsiders and brush parks. A draft Community Fisheries Management Plans has the following objectives: To protect and manage flood forest for a regular supply of daily needed forest products and provide habitat to fish for spawning and nourishing; To conserve forests to protect villagers from storms and winds and also to provide shelter to the fishers at the time of fishing on the open lake; To develop sustainable fishing practices for livelihood improvement of fishers in Kompong Phluk.

IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNER INSTITUTES DFW The Department of Forestry and Wildlife, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), is tasked to protect Cambodia's forests and wildlife by formulating and implementing forest laws and policies, forest resource inventory and evaluation, management planning and project implementation, among others. All forest types, including flood forests, are under DFW's jurisdiction. DFW has offices for forest management, reforestation forest engineering, wildlife protection and forest/wildlife research. It is also overseeing one company (Kamforexim) and two autonomous enterprises (Colexim and Casotim). It has 24 Provincial-Municipal Forestry Offices around the country. DFW's Community Forestry Unit is currently assisting communes in the Kampong Leng District to develop CFM for Korng Rey and Tuk Meas mountains. DOF The Department of Fisheries, also under MAFF, has regulatory authority to enforce regulations, grant concessions, issue licenses, collect fees and control processing, trade and export activities. DOF has one Provincial Fisheries Office per province and obtains much of its revenue from concession lease payments and some from leases, fines and donor funded projects. Over the past decade, DOF contributed between US$1 to $4 million of annual revenue to the government. The decrease in areas allocated for commercial fishing prompted the DOF to establish a Community Fisheries Office and Community Fisheries Committees in its provincial offices with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other donors. LEUCAENA LEUCAENA is an NGO operating in Battambang for the past 10 years. It has gained experience in community development activities focusing on agriculture, micro-finance, and health among others. It has also been involved with informing communities of the new Community Fisheries Sub-Decree and inventory of species in Tonle Sap. Leucaena is currently assisting villages in Ek Phnom District to develop CFM for Fishing Lot #3 in Battambang. CCFWG The Cambodia Community Forestry Working Group aims to generate and provide appropriate information to aid CFM policy development in Cambodia. The working group works to develop a common understanding of CFM, explore useful approaches for a CFM analytical framework, improve CFM typology in terms of community, ethnicity, tenure and ecosystem categories. In 2001, the CCFWG put together the inventory of community forestry projects that was the basis for coming up with areas under CFM in the country. Some of CCFWG members were also part of CAMCOFTT, a multi-disciplinary team that provided training on participatory methods for CFM to interested organizations working in Cambodia. FAO Forestry has been part of the Food and Agriculture Organization mandate from its establishment in 1945 Forestry contributes significantly to the achievement of FAO's mission to "help build a food-secure world for present and future generations" and to assist Member Nations in reducing rural poverty, generating knowledge and ensuring an enabling policy and regulatory framework for food agriculture, fisheries and forestry. There are also several networks in Cambodia that relate to community forest management such as: CFNC The Community Forestry Network Committee (CFNC) has been formed from the collaboration of Concern, WWF, Oxfam GB, DFW, Ministry of Environment and other NGOs. Areas of focus are on degraded areas where stakeholders are interested in replanting activities. Forestry Network The Forestry Network, a collaborative exchange among NGO Forum, Australia Catholic Relief (ACR), Oxfam GB, and ADP meets in different provinces with representatives from communities, local level authorities and NGOs, and the Provincial Forestry Office and CFU/DFW. Areas of focus are forests along the Mekong River, concession areas and paddyside. RNRMAN The Ratanakiri Community Natural Resource Management Advocacy Network (RNRMAN) consists of all communes in Ratanakiri Province. The network aims to gather local comments on national policies and ensure that special needs of indigenous peoples are recognized. RNRMAN also informs communes on human rights & national policies and facilitate exchange of experiences across different projects.