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If humans are to live in harmony with nature, they must have reliable livelihoods and protected basic rights. Many forest-dependent communities struggle to develop stable income sources or register their community-based organizations. WWF-Cambodia fulfils its mission of promoting conservation and reducing poverty by helping communities secure livelihoods and land rights.
Building Sustainable Livelihoods
Development of alternative livelihood activities through our SCALE-UP II project – from chicken, fish and cattle raising to community-based ecotourism and agroforestry – is raising family incomes and reducing demand for unsustainable resource harvesting. WWF also supported the creation of community forest credit schemes and mini-trust funds to sustainably finance conservation activities. Our teams follow up with communities in monthly meetings to provide technical support and assess livelihood outcomes.
Our Impact in 2024
- $123,367 in total income was generated by alternative livelihood options between 2023 and 2024 through WWF-Cambodia’s SCALE-UP II project.
- 576 total households, one-third of which were led by women, benefitted from sustainable livelihood development.
- 100% of income generated by mini-trust funds and 60% of income generated by community forest credit schemes supported forest patrols, helping protect five community forests in the Mekong Flooded Forest landscape.
- 85% of women who actively participated in our livelihood activities reported feeling a greater sense of legitimacy and empowerment in their livelihood decisions, many of which actively engaged in community discussions and meetings.
- Up to 20% of income sources came from diversified livelihood alternatives, such as chicken raising, aquaculture, ecotourism, cattle raising, honey collection, rattan processing, etc.
Villages in the Mekong Flooded Forest are surrounded by breathtaking views and wildlife. By investing in ecotourism services, communities can economically benefit from protecting and preserving their natural landscapes for visitors to experience. Registered community-based ecotourism (CBET) sites receive government recognition as destinations with low environmental impact and high community benefit.
Koh Prumacharey is a community-based ecotourism (CBET) site in Kratie province supported by the SCALE-UP II programme. Located on the beautiful Mekong River, guests can camp on the riverside and enjoy peaceful boat rides through the landscape. Community members generate income by providing food service, transportation, camping supplies, homestays and hand-made goods to visitors. They now also offer solar-powered electricity thanks to infrastructure provided by WWF-Cambodia.
Through the SCALE-UP II project, WWF-Cambodia has:
Facilitated trainings to improve the quality of offered services, waste management and online marketing
Supported the construction of a CBET tourism center
Provided needed equipment like boats, tents and recycling bins
Organized exchange visits between CBETs to learn best practices
Connected CBETs to tour operators, as well as improved services and product packages, to increase market reach and appeal
Find out more about our SCALE-UP II project here.
Wild honey is one of Cambodia’s most important non-timber forest products (NTFPs), providing livelihoods for Bunong Indigenous communities living in and around protected areas in Mondulkiri province. Community income and conservation efforts can be further bolstered by enhancing sustainable harvesting practices, honey marketing tactics and product quality.
This project targets eight community protected areas with 1,478 households, most of which are Indigenous. By training these communities in wild honey harvesting, they also directly participate in securing sustainable natural resource management and protecting ecosystem services.
Our Impact in 2023 and 2024
In a livelihood study, WWF found that 18 community protected areas made over US$18 million in income annually from harvesting NTFPs. This finding included over US$6 million in income from the sale of Mondulkiri wild honey, demonstrating the economic importance of our interventions.
In July 2023, the Ministry of Environment included sustainable wild honey collection into Cambodia’s national guidelines for NTFP extraction, collection and processing in community protected areas.
Last year, a scientific test confirmed the health benefits of Mondulkiri wild honey’s natural chemicals, allowing for greater market promotion to exported countries.
Read more about our work on wild honey collection here.
Fish accounts for approximately 75% of Cambodia’s animal protein consumption and is especially important for the livelihoods of Cambodia’s rural poor. However, recent years have seen a decline in the productivity and diversity of Cambodian fisheries, probably due to fish harvests exceeding sustainable limits, widespread use of illegal and destructive fishing methods, and the destruction of floodplain habitat essential for fish reproduction.
Fishing communities are struggling to maintain their way of life. To supplement lost income, WWF-Cambodia is introducing aquaculture techniques for breeding and raising fish to communities in Kratie province. This intervention promotes climate-resilient livelihoods and reduces demand on wild fish populations to allow their recovery.
Through the SCALE-UP II project, WWF-Cambodia has:
Distributed juvenile fish to 17 households starting aquaculture farms
Facilitated trainings and study tours to Kampong Cham about fish-raising techniques
Promoted market access, developed a logo and advertised products via billboards
Supported two households to start up fish processing including dried fish and smoked fish
Find out more about our SCALE-UP II project here.
Supporting Community-Based Organizations
Community-based organizations, including community protected areas (CPAs), community forests (CFs) and community fisheries (CFis), are essential frameworks for promoting local-led conservation. Through our Mekong4People and SCALE-UP II programmes, we help build local capacity to manage natural resources, so those most impacted by conservation are at the heart of decision-making. This includes implementing monthly management meetings, advocacy and leadership trainings and forest patrols using GPS technology.
We also work closely on Indigenous Community Land Titles (ICLTs), which allow Indigenous groups to uphold cultural traditions, protect community unity and advocate for their rights. ICLT representatives participate in diverse networks of ethnic groups to amplify their collective influence on national platforms.
Our Impact in 2024
- 9,031 people, more than half of which were women, actively engaged in the sustainable management of CFs and ICLTs across 14 community-based organizations in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces.
- 2 Indigenous communities are completing the ICLT registration process, while two other communities have already obtained valid titles.
- 48% of leadership positions in ICLT management committees were held by women, while 36% of decision-making roles across all target CFs, CPAs, and ICLTs were held by women.
- 5 CFis located near dolphin conservation hotspots co-managed their territories with WWF-Cambodia to implement sustainable fishing practices and assist with conservation efforts.
Enhancing collection of non-timber forest products
Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are all forest products other than timber. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, honey or resin, and non-timber construction materials like bamboo, rattan, and certain grasses, but also fish and other wildlife. Many people in and around protected areas in Cambodia depend on the collection of NTFPs for their livelihoods. When external influences decrease crop productivity, local communities resort to forest products as emergency sources to supplement their income.
Rattans are climbing palms that are used for making baskets and furniture, making them an important commodity in international trade. Rattan commonly provides extra income to farmers living near forest. In Cambodia, over 20 species have been identified.
Resin is used as a raw material in the manufacturing of varnish, soap, leather making, and sealing wax, as well as for lighting houses in the village. Extracted from dipterocarp trees, resin tapping is an important economic activity for many rural Cambodian communities.
Bamboo is a strong, flexible and sustainable building material used to build anything from shelves and tables to cottages. Through our Leading the Change initiative, we have trained communities in bamboo and rattan production, supporting the development of enterprises in Koh Kong and Mondulkiri.
Visit our Resources tab to read about projects promoting sustainable resource use, including SCALE-UP II, Leading the Change and Wild Bee Conservation & Honey Collection.