The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary's REDD+ project has helped avoid the emission of over 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) into the atmosphere and prevented the deforestation of approximately 25,000 hectares, according to a USAID study on REDD+ projects in Cambodia.

REDD+, which stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation plus conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, is a global initiative aimed at combating climate change.

USAID Conserve stated on August 28 that USAID Cambodia has supported the development of nine REDD+ initiatives in the country since 2012. Keo Seima is one of them that was registered and is currently being implemented.

The Keo Seima REDD+ project is being carried out on 166,983 hectares of forest land within the more than 300,000 hectares of the sanctuary in Mondulkiri province. The effort is estimated to reduce annual emissions by approximately 1.43 million tCO2e.

“To date, the project has avoided the emission of more than 20 million tCO2e and prevented the deforestation of 25,000 hectares,” the study states, adding that the overall objective is to reduce emissions from unplanned deforestation and forest degradation while ensuring benefits for biodiversity and local communities.

The project, however, faces challenges from deforestation driven by agricultural and mining demands, creating difficulties for implementers in addressing these issues.

According to USAID, the wildlife sanctuary is one of the most vulnerable protected areas in Cambodia, home to at least 75 threatened species and 20 indigenous villages with approximately 20,000 residents.

The Tumring REDD+ Project in Kampong Thom province, covering 67,791 hectares, is estimated to reduce annual carbon emissions by over 378,000 tCO2e. It is a joint project of Korea and Cambodia REDD.

The REDD+ projects under development in Cambodia include those in the Central Cardamom Mountains, the Northern Plains Landscape and the Lomphat, Phnom Tnaot, Siem Pang, Prey Lang and Phnom Samkos wildlife sanctuaries.

Khvay Atitya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, was unavailable for comment regarding these projects on August 29.

An official from the Mondulkiri provincial environment department told The Post that the department has 94 rangers, but they are currently responsible for patrolling around one million hectares of conservation area.

The official noted that the imbalance between the size of the forest and the number of rangers leads to challenges in preventing illegal activities, especially during the rainy season when some areas become inaccessible.

USAID Conserve also shared experiences and provided an overview of USAID's 12 years of support for REDD+ projects in Cambodia with stakeholders from ASEAN countries during a roundtable discussion and an ASEAN Carbon Market conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, organised by the US Embassy in Jakarta and the US Mission to ASEAN recently.

These efforts and the current state of REDD+ efforts globally were the focus of a recent study. Its main conclusions highlighted the durability, integrity and inclusiveness of the projects supported by USAID Cambodia.

USAID Conserve highlighted that the development of REDD+ initiatives with high community involvement is crucial for ensuring the trust of governments, investors and civil society in the positive role that these projects can play in addressing climate change, supporting local development and conserving biodiversity.