Wildlife Alliance CEO Suwanna Gauntlett (second left) at the NGO’s event on March 12. WILDLIFE ALLIANCE
Wildlife Alliance and its partner Baseet are hosting a travelling wildlife exhibition and concert programme in four locations in Koh Kong and Phnom Penh to raise awareness of the benefits of conserving the Cardamom rainforest.
The first event took place on March 10 in O’Som pagoda, with the second on March 12 in Koh Kong town. The third will take place at Thma Bang pagoda on March 14, before the show comes to Phnom Penh for a March 19 event at Aeon Mall II in Sen Sok district.
Entrance to the events is free. Each one features magic shows, games and prizes, science exhibits, presentations by government officials, and musical performances by well-known stars of the contemporary music scene.
The educational shows explore three themes: the link between forest and rainfall, the revenue created by the sale of carbon credits and ongoing attempts to eliminate snaring and the consumption of bushmeat.
“The tour seeks to raise awareness about the benefits that the Cardamom rainforest provides, from generating rainfall for agriculture to the provision of scholarships thanks to the sale of carbon credits from the forest,” said a Wildlife Alliance press release.
“The aims of the tour align with our other campaigns, such as ‘Cardamoms Forever’ and ‘Zero Snaring in Protected Areas’ led by the Ministry of Environment, which is now in phase 2,” it added.
Wildlife Alliance founder and CEO Suwanna Gauntlett said her NGO – in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment – began conducting ranger patrols in the Cardmoms more than 20 years ago.
“Back then, local residents depended on the forest for their livelihoods,” she added.
“Thanks to the latest climate science, we understand all of the benefits of protecting the forest, including the financial benefits to local communities,” he continued.
The release explained that the financial benefits stem from the Southern Cardamoms REDD+ Project, which was established in 2015. The project, led by the ministry and implemented by WA, has since provided revenue from the sale of carbon credits.
The release quoted environment ministry undersecretary of state Sokheng Novin as saying the purpose of the project is to implement climate change mitigation, by conserving forest which a the global rainfall regulator.
“The project supports the livelihoods of 29 communities, which are home to around 4,000 families. The financial gains benefit ecotourism, agriculture and scholarships, as well as provide infrastructure like water wells and roads. Since 2021, 43 wells and 4 roads have been completed, with over 40 additional wells, a bridge, a health post and a school planned for this year,” it added.
The Cardamoms are a biodiversity hotspot, with the last elephant corridor remaining in Asia and 52 IUCN Red-listed threatened wildlife species. This is one reason why carbon credits in the project are financially valuable and attractive to buyers world-wide.
In addition, there are plans to reintroduce a wild tiger population to the region.
“Reintroducing tigers back into the Cardamoms will enrich the biodiversity and make the project even more attractive to buyers,” said WA.
“The reintroduction of tigers is a joint project between the governments Cambodia and India. The two nations signed a recent MoU on the project, which will be a historic step forward,” it said.
