International Institute for Environment and Development 
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Environmental Economics Project Summary
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Theme: Markets for Environmental Services Project name: Sustainable tourism supporting species conservation in the Srepok Wilderness, Cambodia Key partner: WWF-Cambodia
Working with: IIED is co-leading this project with WWF-Cambodia. In addition, a number of key stakeholders are advising the development of this project, including officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries (Forestry Administration), Environment, and Tourism; The Dry Forest Coalition; Mondulkiri provincial authorities and protection forest management board; Mondulkiri communities; Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary; and the Cat Action Treasury.
Copyright © 2005 International Institute for Environment and Development. |
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Project purpose: The purpose of this project is to secure community access to benefits generated through sustainable wildlife tourism in the Srepok Wilderness Area (SWA) in Cambodia, based on the long-term viability of key species. The dry forests in the Srepok Wilderness Area (SWA) of Cambodia contain some of Southeast Asia's last significant populations of iconic animals such as Asian elephant, tiger, and gaur. A serious decline in species populations in the last few decades due to unsustainable harvesting and habitat loss has prompted urgent action from the Government, WWF, and other local partners to address this trend. In conjunction with IIED, these groups have identified high-value low-impact wildlife ecotourism as a means of securing the future of these species and their ecosystem through generating financing for conservation activities and supporting local livelihoods as well as ensuring the financial sustainability of the protected area.
IIED's focus: The Environmental Economics Programme will conduct an economic feasibility study of tourism potential in Mondulkiri district and for the proposed lodge development. This will include tourism profile for Cambodia and the district. IIED's experience in working with conservancies in Namibia will be key in developing robust and relevant community based wildlife monitoring and in transforming the findings from the tourism feasibility and the monitoring into systems approach to conservation that holds benefits sharing with the local communities at its core.
This research is funded by the Darwin Initiative