Report of ERECON Extension Programs in 2019
Following extension programs were implemented in theprogram year of 2019 from 1st April 2019 to the end of March2020.
1. Program on Environmental Rehabilitation and Conservationin Asian Countries
1-1 Project of Green Promotion for Restoration of Satoyama inMondulkiri, Cambodia (Phase 3)
This project conducted in Mondulkiri Province of Cambodia
aimed to promote the technique and knowledge of sustainable forest
management for generating income through harvesting non-timber
forest products among the local residents. The project included
various workshops and reforestation activities with local residents
and school students. The reforestation activities were conducted at
Lao Kar and Pu Tang Elementary Schools and Trom Somsok Sabey
Temple in Mondulkiri Province in 2019.

1-3 Project of Reforestation for Sustainable Forest Managementin Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia (Phase 1)
The residents of Kampong Cham Province must deal withvarious global warming impacts, such as droughts and flooding,because of low density forests. This project aims to promotereforestation activities in pagodas and elementary schools bycollaborating with local residents through workshops on forestconservation and management. It is expected this project contributes
to “Sustainable Forest Management” in SDGs No.15.

Photo. 3 Reforestation activity in Kampong Cham Province,Cambodia (Project 1-3)
1-4 Strengthening National Biodiversity and Forest Carbon
Stock Conservation Through Landscape-based Collaborative
Management of Cambodia’s Protected Area System as
Demonstrated in the Eastern Plains Landscape (CAMPAS)
This project aimed to establish the system of community-based
forest management and rehabilitation in community protected areas(CPA) located in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia. In 2019, a seriesof workshops and trainings were conducted in the project areas toenhance community awareness and understanding of reforestationand habitat restoration. Moreover, trainings about non-timber forest
products utilization and value-added products were conducted toincrease livelihood security of communities in CPAs. Native tree
seedlings produced by local communities were used for reforestationand distributed to agro-forestry farms in the areas. After reforestation,
CPAs members conducted maintenance and monitoring activities in
the reforested areas, especially in the dry season.

Photo. 1 Reforestation activity in Mondulkiri Province,
Cambodia (Project 1-1)
1-2 Project of Reforestation for Biodiversity Conservation inKratie, Cambodia (Phase 3)
Biodiversity has been severely damaged due to sharp decrease
and degradation of forest owing to land conversion and illegal
deforestation in Kratie Province, eastern part of Cambodia. This
project provided the local residents the opportunities of reforestation
activities aiming to recover biodiversity and the workshops fordeepening knowledge and technique on sustainable forest
management and environmental conservation. The activities wereconducted in Kbal Trach, Doung Meas 1, and Roha Villages of SnuolDistrict, Kratie Province in 2019.

Photo. 4 Reforestation in Veal Kambou Community
Protected Area, Cambodia (Project 1-4)
Photo. 2 Reforestation activity in Kratie Province,Cambodia (Project 1-2)

1-5 Project on Reforestation for Forest Restoration in Nakhon
Ratchasima Province, Thailand (Phases 2 and 3)

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Natural forests are continuously decreasing due to land
conversion in Thailand. Also, biodiversity has been declined due toinsufficient forest management. Deforestation has also occurred inNakhon Ratchasima Province due to illegal logging and inefficientmanagement of the forests. Accordingly, this project has promoted
reforestation activities with local residents, and established the forest
restoration and conservation systems. It is expected that this projectcontributes to “Sustainable Forest Management” in SDGs No.15.

the latter training, they learned various types of irrigation techniques.
Based on what they have learned, the officers provided training andworkshops in all 10 districts. On the basis of the collaboration system
between universities and PDAFF/DDAFF built in this project,lecturers and interns from Royal University of Agriculture (RUA)
and Kampong Cham National Institute of Agriculture (KNIA)
supported the officers and farmers and helped them to understand thecontents properly. In addition, various facilities in PDAFF andDDAFF were installed to make them become the center to promotesustainable agriculture. Two District Model Farms (DMF) set up ineach district in previous year continued to disseminate knowledge
and techniques of sustainable agriculture to the local farmers. Finally,a project evaluation meeting was held on 22nd August 2019 withvarious stakeholders. In the 3rd phase starting in March 2020 till theend of February 2021, the project focuses on the establishment ofcollecting and shipping system in the target area.

Photo. 5 Reforestation activity in Nakhon Ratchasima Province,Thailand (Project 1-5)
1-6 Project on Reforestation for Forest Restoration in Chai Nat
Province, Thailand (Phases 2 and 3)
The forest area has been seriously decreasing due todeforestation through illegal logging and lack of effective forest
management in Chai Nat Province of Thailand. Accordingly,
reforestation activities were conducted with local residents forpromoting participatory management of community forests. As aresults of this project, it is expected that the community forests arewell managed by local residents and contribute to SDGs No.15 as“Sustainable Forest Management”.

Photo. 7 Signing ceremony held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia(Project 2-1)

Photo. 6 Reforestation activity in Chai Nat Province, Thailand(Project 1-6)

3. Program on Environmental Education in Asian Countries
3-1 JICA Nikkei Training
The mono-culture farming has been widely adapted forproducing cash crops in Latin America. As it has degraded soil
conditions, local residents have increased their awareness of theimportance of soil conservation for sustainable agriculture. Thiscourse was arranged for Nikkei Trainees, who are descendants ofJapanese families under the support of JICA. ERECON accepted aNikkei trainee from Cuba for its fifth JICA Nikkei Training that washeld from May to November 2019. In the course, the trainee learned
methods and techniques of agro-biodiversity, soil conservation,
sustainable agriculture, project cycle management, participatory ruralappraisal, Satoyama conservation, etc. The trainee is expected toapply the knowledge and techniques she gained from the training forsustainable development in agriculture in her home country, Cuba.

2. Program on Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in AsianCountries
2-1 Project on Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Conditions
for Poverty Reduction in Kampong Cham Province,Cambodia (Phases 2 and 3)
More than 25 officers from Kampong Cham Provincial
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (PDAFF) andDistrict Department of Agriculture (DDAFF) took the training on“Improvement of Soil Fertility (Pellet Compost)” and “Irrigation
Techniques” in Cambodia and Thailand in 2019. In the former
training, the officers mainly learned the functions of soils, theformula for making pellet compost and its application methods. InPhoto. 8 Satoyama observation in Machida, Tokyo, Japan(Project 3-1)

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3-2 International Green Volunteer Training in Thailand
The International Green Volunteer Training was conductedfrom August 7th to 13th, 2019 in Thailand. The training tour wasorganized by ERECON under the Green Fund of the National Land
Afforestation Promotion Organization. This training aimed todeepen Japanese trainees’ understanding and knowledge of theimportance of reforestation and afforestation, environmental
conservation, and international environmental cooperation. EightJapanese trainees attended various lectures on the state of theforests in Thailand, visited several reforestation project sites, andconducted reforestation activities with local residents. The
outcomes of the training were reported at the “Global Festa Japan2019” held in Tokyo, Japan.

3-3 Re-Inventing Japan Project InternshipThis is an internship program that ERECON provides forexchange students to the Tokyo University of Agriculture comingfrom Latin America. For the 2019 program year, the internship washeld from 3rd to 8th August and from 14th to 15th September for 17
exchange students. The interns learned about the importance ofsustainable use of natural resources in Japan, Asian countries, andtheir own countries. The program contained an introduction toERECON projects across Asian countries, several sustainable
farming practices, Satoyama conservation, project planning in theircountries, etc. The trainees were eager to learn and the outcomesfrom the subjects were demonstrated during their presentation.

Photo. 9 Presentation of International Green Volunteer Training
at Global Festa Japan 2019 in Tokyo, Japan(Project 3-2)

Photo. 10 Lecture on sustainable farming practices in Machida,Tokyo, Japan (Project 3-3)
(Kumiko KAWABE and Mari ARIMITSU, Extension Center)３