A second, updated edition of the book “The Birds of the Upper Mekong” has been published. The work details 216 different species of bird that are present on the upper Mekong River.

The publication serves as an important source of information for the rapidly growing domestic bird-watching community.

Hanh Nguyen, acting mission director at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Cambodia, had provided Minister of Tourism Thong Khon with several copies of the book, according to a social media post by USAID Greening Prey Lang.

It said the Khmer language version will be provided to several ecotourism communities in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, which have received training on bird guiding from Sam Vesna Conservation Tours. The book will be available for purchase by tourists who visit these remote and pristine ecotourism destinations.

The Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme (NTFP-EP) produced the book using a grant from USAID Greening Prey Lang. NTFP-EP and its partners will also distribute the book to schoolchildren along the Upper Mekong to improve awareness about bird species, their habitats, and migratory routes.

The updated book and bird guide training complements a suite of improvements to ecotourism services and products that have been provided to ecotourism communities along the Upper Mekong by USAID Greening Prey Lang and its partners.

This includes equipment such as kayaks, tents and camping supplies, training on hygienic food and beverage service standards, tour guide and interpretation services, and ecotourism product marketing and promotion.

The combination of improved ecotourism products and linkages to tour operators has resulted in significant increases in domestic tourists travelling to these communities. Increased incomes for local communities from ecotourism encourage them to conserve and protect natural resources, they said.