Community Incentives for Conservation in the Tonle Sap, Cambodia. Simon Mahood, Chamnan Hong Long Keng, Ross Sinclair WCS Cambodia

Transcription

1 Community Incentives for Conservation in the Tonle Sap, Cambodia Simon Mahood, Chamnan Hong Long Keng, Ross Sinclair WCS Cambodia

2 WCS global conservation program Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society 500 projects in 65 countries WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature

3 WCS Cambodia approach 1. Improving government & community management of landscapes 2. Building capacity for protecting key species & sites 3. Incentivizing sustainable use of fisheries & forests

4 WCS Cambodia conservation program

5 Tonle Sap Great Lake and inundation zone Landscape approach CEPF Priority Corridor 7 of 10 Priority KBAs

6 CEPF project integrated into a long-term program Project activities in framework includes linked grants from: MacArthur Foundation Margaret A Cargill Foundation

7 CEPF Strategic Direction and Priorities Strategic Direction Empower Local Communities to Engage in Conservation & Management of Priority Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) Investment Priority Raise Awareness about Biodiversity Conservation Legislation Pilot Community Forests & Fisheries, & Community-managed PAs Develop Co-management for PA that Enable Participation Project Duration: April October 2018

8 Long-term Impact In Tonle Sap communities are empowered to: Engage in conservation Manage Priority KBA s Safeguard populations of threatened species

9 Background Mekong & Tonle Sap One of Asia s richest landscapes for biodiversity, where natural processes and human well-being are still inextricably linked.

10 Background project sites Project sites chosen because: Exceptional value for biodiversity Extent to which they were threatened Their complementarity Support core populations of 8 CEPF priority species

11 Core populations of CEPF priority species White-shouldered Ibis Greater Adjutant Masked Finfoot Eld s Deer Siamese Crocodile Lessor Adjutant Sarus Crane

12 Background project sites Prek Toal Core Area of Tonle Sap Biosphere Res most important wetland in SE Asia for bird conservation Waterbird colony of over 100,000 birds

13 Background project sites Ang Trapeang Thmor Sarus Crane Reserve supports ½ Indochinese pop Sarus Crane

14 Background project sites Bengal Florican Conservations Areas 80% global population Bengal Floricans

15 Project Objectives 1. PA effectiveness enhanced through enhanced community engagement 2. Community managed conservation areas established and/or supported 3. Community management incentivized by scaling-up payment programs

16 Project Objectives (contin.) 4. Communities supported to manage habitats & conserve threatened spp 5. Two local NGOs financially and operationally independent & able to mobilize grassroots support for conservation interventions

17 Community Incentive Schemes Three Payment programs: Payments for bird nest protection Payments keep agriculture within land-use plans Community-based ecotourism Market-linked Liquid resin Forest paddies Shifting cultivation Fisheries

18 Community Incentive Schemes Coordinated by WCS Implemented by local NGOs: - Sam Veasna Centre (SVC) Ecotourism - Sansom Mlup Prey (SMP) Ibis Rice Managed at the local level by: Community Management Committees (ecotourism) Village Marketing Networks (Ibis Rice)

19 Community Incentive Schemes Partnerships communities, WCS, government & enterprises Clearly articulated & agreed process to address issues Land tenure &/or user rights secured for communities

20 Community Incentive Schemes Focus on additional income for communities Focus on robust social institutions to manage activities & decision-making

21 Eco-tourism incentive scheme Dedicated organization for eco-tourism Focused a segment of market bird watchers Now expanded to nature lovers Partnerships with business tour companies Focus on service English speaking guides, great lodges, etc.

22 Eco-tourism incentive scheme Focus adding value in community run guesthouses, guides, service staff, etc. Add-ons to capture more tourist $$ donate to nest protection, etc. Payments - $30/tourist ONLY if see birds Community funds are discretionary strengthens committee

23 Ibis Rice incentive scheme Ibis Rice creates sustainable development pathways by: alleviating poverty without habitat destruction providing premium prices for wildlife-friendly TM products providing access to new markets for small farmers involving community members in PA management

24 Follow agreed land-use plan No Hunting Wildlife No use Chemicals

25 Communities benefit directly through tenure/user rights, financial payments, and indirectly through ecosystem services Participation Sales volume (kg) 140, , ,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 Rice Sales Incentive schemes are beyond proof-of-concept and are continuing to expand in terms of participation, sales and farmer income

26 Communities benefit directly through tenure/user rights, financial payments, and indirectly through ecosystem services $140,000 $120,000 $100,000 $80,000 $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 $0 Farmer income Benefit $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $0 Incentive schemes are beyond proof-of-concept and are continuing to expand in terms of participation, sales and farmer income

27 Communities benefit directly through tenure/user rights, financial payments, and indirectly through ecosystem services Household & community income increased sufficiently to change behavior and generate conservation outcomes Households in scheme wealthier at faster rates than outside

28 Wildlife benefits through decreased deforestation, hunting and pesticide-use Numbers of nests and chicks Ibis Roosts, Nests and Chicks The numbers of endangered birds, nests and chicks are all increasing in the villages with incentives schemes

29 Incentive schemes are either profitable (eco-tourism) or close to financial sustainability (Ibis Rice) Incentive schemes are also empowering Cambodians, the eco-tourism scheme is entire run by Cambodians, included villages guesthouses run by communities

30 First year results 1. PA effectiveness enhanced through enhanced community engagement Community management committees trained in the development and monitoring of local level regulations to prevent hunting 2. Community conservation areas established and/or supported Local level regulations that prohibit hunting of key species were developed linked to performance under the Ibis Rice scheme Community developed regulations for the CPA

31 First year results (contin.) 3. Community incentivized by scaling-up payment programs Village Marketing Networks received training in verification of adherence to the Ibis Rice regulations Community rangers were trained 4. 2 local NGOs independent & able mobilize support for conservation Training of financial staff, management support for directors Trainee guides joined the guide-training program

32 Community-rangers protect SE Asia s largest waterbird colony at Prek Toal, using a network of tree-top and stream-based platforms

33 Populations of threatened waterbirds rose rapidly and since 2012 have remained stable despite massive institutional changes Global Endangered Greater Adjutant 2nd largest colony in world Largest in mainland SE Asia 40% of Global population

34 Management effectiveness increased at Prek Toal through the development of a new five-year management plan

35 The trend annual loss of seasonally flooded grasslands in Tonle Sap (Bengal Florican Conservation Areas) has been reversed Pre July Dec Annual hange area (ha) grassland at Stoung-Chikraeng Bengal Florican Conservation -1200

36 Ibis Rice has been expanded to new villages, with conservation agreements linked to protection of Sarus Crane and Eld s Deer

37 Targeted support provided to local NGO partner SVC has led to increased capacity to run conservation enterprises

38 Next 3 years Further enhance community engagement for enhanced PA management effectiveness and establish new community managed conservation areas

39 Next 3 years Scale-up conservation incentive schemes, and the two local NGOs that run them will be financially and operationally independent

40 Critical success factors A product (wildlife or rice!) people will pay for Direct links conservation (wildlife) to incentive ($) Social institutions capable of change behavior Generate enough $ to change behavior

41 The Critical success factor : A direct link between conservation & benefits Wildlife No Hunting Land-use Plan No illegal cutting Attracts Village Only pay if see wildlife Bird-Watchers

42 Acknowledgements The communities of Prek Toal, Ang Trapeang Thmor and the BFCAs. Photo: Eleanor Briggs/WCS and Jonathan C. Eames (Bengal Florican)

43 Background Tonle Sap Great Lake Dry season water flows out of Tonle Sap Great Lake

44 Background Tonle Sap Great Lake Wet season rainfall Mekong headwaters = reverse flow Tonle Sap Pulse of floodwater upstream

45 Background Tonle Sap Great Lake Lake area increases 5-fold (2,500 to 15,000 km 2 ) Lake depth increases 4-fold (3 to 12 m) Floods vast area of forest, scrub, grassland