1 Presenter: Sim Kong, Program Development Manager PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MLUP BAITONG AND KEIDANREN NATURE CONSERVATION FUND THE TV MEETING, AUGUST 10, 2007

2 I- Mlup Baitong Background Mlup Baitong (MB) was established in 1998 as a project of the Great Britain NGO It became independent in 2001 It was officially localized in 2003 Thematic area: Environment Education, Natural Resource Management (CF/CPA), and Community Based Eco-Tourism (CBET) Vision: Cambodians will manage and use natural resources in a sustainable & equitable manner for a healthy environment. Mission: To support the protection of the environment in Cambodia by increasing awareness and promoting sustainable use of natural resources while improving people's livelihood.

3 I- Mlup Baitong Background (cont.) Current project target areas: Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, and Stung Treng provinces During the last 6 years, Mlup Baitong has been supported by around 20 donors including Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF).

4 II. COOPERATION BETWEEN MB&KNCF From 2002 to 2004, MB received the total amount of US$44,000 from KNCF as grants for co-funding of Chambok CBET Project (Kg. Speu) From 2005 to 2006 MB received the total amount of US$21,000 from KNCF as grants for co-funding of School Eco-club Project (Kg. Speu) In 2007 MB received the amount of US$15,000 from KNCF as grant for co-funding of CBF Project (Kg. Thom)

5 III. Chambok CBET Project Achievement The Chambok CBET Project Location: It is located in the remote jungle area of northeastern border of Kirirom National Park in Chambok Commune, Phnom Sruich district, Kampong Speu province

6 III. Chambok CBET Project Achievement (cont.) Chambok CBET Project achievement: - The Management Committee (MC), Its bylaw, and Community Regulations was established - All necessary infrastructure and facilities have been constructed. Those include forest trails, trail stairs, small bridges, an entrance fee ticket-sales booth, an entrance gate, rest shelters, a 96-square-meter Information Center, a 380-square-meter botanical nursery with water supply system, ox-carts, toilets, 20 home stays, a 40-square-meter restaurant, a car parking lot, and vending cottages. - Relevant tourism services including entrance fee collection, car parking, ox-cart riding, tourist guiding, food preparation, souvenir vending, traditional dancing performance, and home stay have been established.

7 III. Chambok CBET Project Achievement (cont.) Chambok CBET Project Technical Inputs: All MC members and service providers have been trained on environmental issues, meeting facilitation skills, problem solving, report writing, micro- project/business designing, project implementation and management, implementation of relevant laws, forest protection methods, and tourism service techniques and management. The last includes teaching on community based ecotourism concepts, bookkeeping, accounting, financial management, tour guiding, first-aid, hygiene and sanitation, basic English conversation and computer skills. In addition, the concept of Self Help Group (SHG) was also introduced to the Women Association.

8 IV. Chambok CBET Project Outcome Attracting people including service providers, villagers and local visitors to participate in keeping the ecotourism site clean, green, and sustainable. More than 1,100 ha of forests have been properly managed and illegal activities, which were very often happened in those areas, have mostly been abolished. While around 100 villagers who previously involved in logging/hunting have become farmers, tourist guides or tourism service providers.

9 IV. Chambok CBET Project Outcome (cont.) 72 charcoal kilns that operated in the project site and consumed hundreds of trees every day, before the establishment of this ecotourism project, were completely eliminated. These charcoal kilns were responsible for severe destruction of forest. Also in the surrounding forest areas, which are connected with Chambok CBET site, no major destruction of natural resources occurred, thus allowing the forest a proper chance to regenerate.

10 IV. Chambok CBET Project Outcome (cont.) As a result of building capacity of MC members, most of them can develop and implement a plan of improving facilities of the site by themselves. Currently, around 60% of project activities, which previously done by the project staff, have been planned and implemented by MC members. The improvement of MC members capacity is an invaluable outcome that sustains the project.

11 IV. Chambok CBET Project Outcome (cont.) From the opening in 2003 up to 2006, the number of visitors and revenues have steadily increased except in 2005 due to the transportation difficulty.

12 IV. Chambok CBET Project Outcome (cont.) About 500 households directly benefit from this project through increased access to non-timber forest resources and sale of agricultural products. Further 300 people have been employed in ecotourism services on rotational basis, improving their livelihoods. In 2006, the total benefits generated by the community from all tourism services amounted to more than US $10,000. It is expected to significantly increase in 2007 By mid-2007, the Community Fund savings has accumulated to US $5,000. By mid-2007, the Community Fund savings has accumulated to US $5,000. The emigration of young villagers to cities has significantly declined.

13 V. Chambok CBET Project Impact From January 2006 to June 2007, 47 delegations including national and internatnl NGO workers, university students, researchers, government officials, and internatnl delegations, visited the site. Most of them came to visit Chambok to learn from best practices of Chambok CBET Project. It has been recognized by the Ministry of Tourism as a good model of Pro-poor CBET in Cambodia. In early 2006 the Project was given an award for its successful efforts to involve the Chambok Commune Council in its activities by the Commune Council Support Project (CCSP), In July 2006 the project received a Bronze Medal from the Prime Minister through the Ministry of Environment for best practice in natural resource protection and community livelihood improvement.

14 VI. Chambok CBET Project sustainability A micro-project approach in which the MC members are trained to design and implement activities for management, maintenance and development of the site by themselves, has been observed as successful in strengthening ownership of MC members toward CBO establishment. Currently around 60% of the project activities are being implemented by MC members. The incomes generated from the tourism services is enough for self-support. This indicator has showed the way to sustain the project.

15 VII. School Eco-club Project Achievement 35 School Eco-clubs in 3 districts of Kampong Speu have been established 35 school Eco-club Teachers and 35 School Principals have been trained on ToT of environment More than 1,200 school students have been selected and trained on environment and eco-club activities to be eco-club members 15 School Eco-clubs have already become clean and green schools and be able to run by themselves 2 School Eco-clubs have become Model School Eco-clubs that we call Demonstration Site and another 3 have been nominated as Extension Centers. 2 School Eco-clubs have become Model School Eco-clubs that we call Demonstration Site and another 3 have been nominated as Extension Centers.

16 VII. School Eco-club Project Achievement (cont.) 8 issues of the environmental newsletters namely My Environment were published and distributed to all 35 School Eco-clubs and some other schools. 11 mini Environmental Libraries Have been established. Thousands of trees have been planted inside and outside the schools Thousands of trees have been planted inside and outside the schools All 35 School Eco-clubs have improved their waste management systems. Most of School Eco-clubs have improved their school gardens.

17 VIII. School Eco-club Project Impact School eco-club members, teachers and principals have applied ideas of good environment at their homes and in their daily lives. The Provincial Department of Education has requested other schools to learn experiences on school environment improvement form the School Eco-clubs. School-Eco-club approach was requested to replicate to other schools in Kg. Speu Province. School Eco-club approach was replicated to other provinces by some National and international NGO and projects.

18 IX. School Eco-club Activity Sustainability Recently, the subject of environment was integrated into school curriculum The ideas of eco-club approach have been welcome by almost educational administrators and teachers in the target areas. Around 20% of Priority Action Plan (PAP) budget of each school has been allocated for school environment improvement All school eco-clubs which were graduated from the project have continued improving their school environment.

19 THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION!