Project Rationale:
- Conservation needs:
Key threats:
– No protection status for VSSPCA, no recognition of IP historical rights on their forest.
Despite Conservation International (CI) Cambodia has demonstrated the biological value of VSSCPA with the presence of 16 red list IUCN wildlife species and the highest densities in Indochina region, despite CI has invested considerable efforts (financial and in activities, station, patrols by FA rangers etc), the Forestry Administration has not yet registered VSSPCA as a new Protected Forest in Cambodia.
–> vulnerable to intrusion of outsiders (new migrants, loggers, patrons working for illegal logging companies and of local authorities corruption to allow logging (Veun Sai commune chief and district governor are paid by those illegal logging companies and issue letter authorizing access to trees), poaching.
–> large scale logging by the illegal company intermediaries, rampant poaching by loggers, destruction of habitat (one luxury tree logged for 50 trees destroyed, progression of 10km per month in the forest, construction of illegal paths)
Important opportunities:
The target area with three contiguous national parks (Virachey National Park, Xe Pian National Park in Laos and Chu Mom Ray National Park in Vietnam) represents the largest area of intact forest in one piece in Asia and the best chance of maintaining the iconic wildlife in South East Asia there Veun Sai Siem Pang Conservation Area is home to six species of primates which 5 are on the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN, seven large carnivore species and three threatened bird species.
16 species of wildlife red listed: the rarest on the planet
Researches have confirmed that this area has high biodiversity values. Conservation International has identified:– 59 mammal species
– Including two new species –[Northern buffed-cheeked gibbon, Nomascus annamensis , Walston’s tube-nose bat, Murina walstoni]
– 139 species of bird
– 60 species of reptile and amphibian
– Including one new species –[Iridescent lizard, Lygosoma veunsaiensi]
– Many new country records
As the site has no conservation status, and that FA has not demonstrated its willing to register the site as a Protected Forest, the alternative today after 8 years, is to process the creation of Community Forestry and engage IP into concrete protection through Community Patrols. If this project is not implemented, IP, the forest and wildlife are to vulnerable to massive destruction.
Project Goal
Support to Veun Sai Siem Pang CA protection through community rights to create Community Forestry and/or ICCA and to patrol the forest to mitigate biodiversity loss with a special focus on gibbon protection. …
Please see PDF file Project Profile (Conservation )
