Fearing that community forests will be unprotected during next week’s Water Festival, 10 communities in Preah Vihear province on Tuesday vowed to patrol their community forest themselves while relevant authorities are busy preparing for the annual celebrations.

The pledge was made after the provincial Department of Agriculture donated funds and tools to assist in patrols at the 10 communities in Rovieng and Chheb districts to encourage them to protect and preserve community forests and wildlife.

Sampreang Prey Snuol community forest chief Puth Khim told The Post that some people view national holidays such as Khmer New Year and the Water Festival as an opportunity to illegally hunt wildlife and log timber.

“We will not allow criminals to log our forest during the upcoming Water Festival,” Khim said, adding that it was the first time the provincial Department of Agriculture had contributed to their patrols.

Their efforts will be made easier thanks to the raincoats, tents, torches, boots, stationery, hammocks and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices provided by the provincial Department of Agriculture to each of the 10 communities.

Forestry Administration provincial director Nuon Sokhom told The Post: “During the upcoming patrol, our officials will teach them how to use GPS on-site, so when they witness forest crimes, they will be able to take photos with specific locations marked.”

Boskiri Meanchey community forest chief Sak Odom told The Post that despite Friday’s donations, the provincial Department of Agriculture needed to increase its contributions to community patrols.

“However, the donation encourages the community to strengthen efforts in protecting and preserving the forest for the next generation,” Odom said.