Cambodia’s Forests andBiodiversity Management:
Paradigm Shift, Challenges and Opportunities

5th AP-BON Seminar
21 January 2021

Chheang Dany, Hort Sothea, Say Sinly, Kim Sobon,
Lim Sopheap, Pang Phanit, Nhan Bunthan,Forest Biodiversity in Cambodia

Cambodia is one of 35 Global Biodiversity
Hotspots that provide habitats for thousands ofplant and wildlife species, many of which are on
the IUCN Red List of threatened and endangeredspecies.
Cambodia has the largest remaining extensive
intact block of a unique landscape of exceptional
global importance for biodiversity conservation inSoutheast Asia and contains 5 of the 9 important
Biodiversity Corridors in the Greater Mekong SubRegion

Main Pillars of Sustainable Forest Management

Ecosystsem
Integrety

SFM
Economically
viableCambodia pursue SFM for
fostering Healthy Forest, Healthy
People and Healthy Economy
Cambodia is promoting
the sustainable utilizationof natural resources andPeople-centered theconservation
ofbiodiversity, ecosystems& Sociallyandlandscapes
toacceptablesupportgreen
development and the bioeconomy

Trend of Species Abundance in greater Mekong Sub-Region

Source: Ben ten Brink “BCI Measuring and Modelling Biodiversity 2006

Forest Cover Trends(people)(hectares)(hectares)

Forest Cover and Population Trends

Forest Biodiversity in Cambodia: Protected Areas
Before May 2016

After May 2016

Cambodia currently has over 5 million ha of Protected Areas,Protected Forests and Biodiversity Conservation Areas and 25,000 haof inland fish sanctuaries representing about 30% of the country’s land
surface (Aichi Target 11: 17%).

Outline of Forest in Cambodia
12Tonle Sap Lake:(3)
Water level go up and down
several meters during one year.
Flooded area is formed
surrounding the lake.

(1)
Land area: 181,035 km2
Forest area: 61.15 % of total land

Areas of each forest types in ( %)Evergreen:
20.49%
Mixed:
8.01%
Deciduous:
26.62%
Flooded forest:
6.03%

Mountainous area is located in theSouthwest and the Northeast ofCambodia.
Flat area and gently rolling plain
are common in central part of(2)Cambodia.

Policies, Legislation and Land Tenure Arrangements- The National Forest Policy Statement adopted in June 2002.
- the National Forest Program, issued in 2009, provides theelements of a long-term forest policy for the period 2010-2029.
- Land Law (2001), the Forestry Law (2002), the Law on
Protected Areas (2008), Sub-decree on Community Forestry
Management (2003) and the Guidelines on Community
Forestry and Related Policies (2006).
- the Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity andEfficiency, the Cambodia Sustainable Development Goals
Framework 2016-2030, the National Biodiversity Strategy andActon Plan (2016).

Forest Plantation Establishment and Development- Large-scale investment in forest plantation establishment
and development on public forest land has been initiallypromoted through public-private partnerships.
- Reforestation has been carried out mainly on poor sites. An
area of between 300 and 400 ha was planted each year
between 1915 and 1972.
- The species planted have included H. odorata,
Dipterocarpus species, Tectona grandis, Pinus merkusii, andfast-growing fuelwood species such as Peltophorum
ferrugineum and Combretum guadrangulare.

Forest Plantation Establishment and Development- From 1985 to 2013, there had been 143,586 ha of forest
plantations established in Cambodia, comprising 119,170 ha offorest plantations that belong to the ELCs, public-private
partnership companies, and small-scale households; 24,107 ha
were planted by public institutions such as the FA and the army;
and 309 ha by local non-governmental organizations.
- Between 2014 and 2018, forest plantation areas amounted to338,718 ha, inclusive of 337,046 ha planted by the ELCs,
private-public partnerships, and small-scale households, and1,672 ha by the FA. The dominant timber species planted are
A. mangium, A. auriculifomis, E. camaldulensis, a few varietiesof Eucalyptus hybrid derived from E. grandis, and T. grandis;
with the rest being native species

Forest Plantation Establishment and Development- MAFF has promulgated the Declaration on the Establishment ofPrivate Forests to promote and incentivize individuals or legal
entities to plant trees on their own legally acquired land
- From 2020, MAFF has allowed the FA to establish and develop
state forest plantations with fast-growing tree species, such A.
mangium, A. auriculifomis, E. camaldulensis, and a few
varieties of Eucalyptus hybrid derived from E. grandis. The aim
is to ensure the sustained supply of fuelwood for domestic
consumption and to meet the demand for industrial processing.

A relationship between forest types and soil types
(1)

(2)

DEF

DDF

DEFlog

(5)

MF

(7)

(6)

Acrisols(4)(3)

ArenosolsSF(8)

Podzols

Histosols

Relationships between forest types and soil types were recognized:
DEF&DEF-logged-Acrisols, DDF-Arenosols, MF-Podzols, and SF-Histosols.

13National Symbols of Biodiversity in Cambodia

Bos sauveli

Pseudibis gigantea

Batagu baska

Catlocarpio siamesis

National Symbols of Biodiversity in Cambodia
Burasuss
flabellifer

Musa aromatica

Mitrella mesnyi

Some Endangered Species
Mammals: Asian, Elephant, Indochinese Tiger, Eld’s Deer, Asiatic Black Bear,
Northern Serow, Golden Cat, Clouded Leopard, Hog Deer, Wild Water Buffalo,
Javan Rhinoceros, Kouprey, .....
Birds: Giant Ibis, Black-necked Stork, White-winged Duck, Greater Adjutant,
White-shouldered Ibis, Sarus Crane,
Reptile: Royal Turtle (Batagu baska), Siamese Crocodile, .........................

Iconic Species
Species which formerly occurred in PVPF apparently no longer do so:• Asian Two-horned Rhino Dicerorhinus sumatrensis,• Lesser One-horned Rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus (last rhinoceros observed inCambodia in 1930s),• Kouprey Bos sauveli (last confirmed obser. in Preah Vihear in 1964 and• Wild Water Buffalo Bubalus bubalis (last confirmed obser. in Preah Vihear in 1964).
• Indochinese Tiger Panthera igris (last confirmed obser. in Preah Vihear in 2003).
• Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Large-antlered Muntjac Megamuntiacus@ Alain Compost@ Alain Compost

Biodiversity in Cambodia: Plants and Animal Species

Taxon
Mammal species
Bird species
Reptile species
Fish species
Amphibian species
Vascular plant species
Hard coral
Soft coralSea grass

Known Species

IUCN Red List

135635
95955
65
4,500
2414104540
15191250

Forests links to the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs)

Forests & forest ecosystems
make substantive contributions
across nearly every aspect ofsustainable development.
Forest Ecosystems provide
food, clean water and energy,
as well as various otherbenefits, and are essential forhuman well-being and it must
berecognizedthattheprovision of these goods andservices ultimately depends onthe ecological processes ofwell-functioning
forestecosystems.

The Importance of Forest Biodiversity Resources
The physical use of resources:
Hydroenergy, timber, fiuelwood, fisheries, wildfoods, wildlife handicrafts, housing materials.
The provision of Forest/Ecosystem Services:

Watershed protection, carbon sequestration,
landscapes, air and water quality.
Economic Options:
Industrial, agricultural, pharmaceutical,recreational, nature-based tourism.
Intrinsic worth, regardless of use:
Landscapes, aesthetic, heritage, bequest,cultural.

Connections among forest processes enhance resilience andresistancepest control / predation
pollination
herbivory
production

seed dispersal
decomposition

habitatsoil and water retention

Forest ecosystem resilienceForest Investment Challenges and Opportunities- Population growth and Decline of Forest and Biodiversity- Increasing Demand, Regional and international markets,
Markets for forest products: (Timber products from naturalforests and plantations and non-timber forest products)- Forest ecosystem services: recreational nature-based tourism,carbon credits (carbon sequestration, carbon stocks), water
circulation, hydro-electricity and watershed protection.
- Raw materials supply from Natural forest decreasing- Prices: (plantation pricing and natural forest pricing)- Expertise and Vocational Training (forest management anddevelopment), Processing operations, Business practices,Labor supply- Forest related investment policies- Forestry climate change and innovative financing

Forest Investment Challenges and Opportunities- Overlapping and unclear ownership of natural forest
resources- Accounting practices & asset valuation- Encroachment and illegal harvesting- Natural disasters, pests and diseases and forest fires- Poor infrastructure- Demand for expanding agro-industrial land
- Demand for timber forest products domestically andregionally- Human resources and unskilled labor- Lack of financial and foreign investment in forest
plantations- Lack of incentives for plantations both for local and foreign
investors

Conclusions•

Global forest area continues to decline and existing forests become more fragmented.
Intact forest landscapes remain but are only 25% of the total forest estate and have littleprotection. There are no good estimates of the area of degraded forest, in large part
because there is no existing definition•Forest Ecosystem Services provide food, clean water and energy, as well as
various other benefits, and are essential for human well-being. These services
depend on the ecological processes of functioning forest ecosystems.

•Forests Resources and Forest Ecosystem Services contribute to economic growth andpoverty alleviation. The loss of Forest Resources, therefore, has negative consequences
and actions to reduce pressures on forest resources support a broad range of socialbenefits.
The Sustainable Utilization of Forest Resources and Biodiversity requires
implementation of actions that include appropriate legal and policy frameworks,
socioeconomic incentives aligned to those frameworks, policies/legislation acrosssectors and corresponding government ministries/ agencies, broad stakeholderengagement as well as cross-border and international cooperation, are essential indeveloping an effective package of action, monitoring and enforcement.
International Cooperation, Technical and financial support are required to implement
effective actions to support the Sustainable Utilization of Forest and Biodiversity
Resources, especially with regard to Integrated Forest Ecosystem Restoration programsand the expansion of Agro-Forestry practices among Forest-Dependent Communities.

••

Collaboration and cooperation for sustainable and productive landscapemanagement and conservation to make world habitats safer for all.

For Further Contact: wpo@online.com.kh