The UK awarded nearly $600,000 to support Fauna & Flora International (FFI) via a programme entitled Strengthened livelihoods and conservation management in Virachey National Park to support the biologically significant region and the development of sustainable livelihoods.

According to a July 26 press release, Marc Thayre, deputy head of mission of the British embassy in Phnom Penh, completed a July 10-15 visit to Ratanakkiri to see UK-funded projects in the province and meet with local officials and NGOs. He also travelled into Virachey National Park.

It added that the programme will develop conservation zonation and community management plans in this biologically significant region and strengthen indigenous communities.

“The protection of biodiversity is a top priority for the UK and I’m pleased we have been able to support work on Virachey National Park through our implementer FFI. Local communities need to be empowered and incentivised to protect the ecosystem that supports their livelihoods,” Marc said.

He also held talks in Banlung town with the province’s acting governor, senior members of the provincial Department of Environment, and the provincial Department of Education, Youth and Sport. The discussions focused on forging closer cooperation between the UK and Ratanakkiri province to further the UK’s support for the region.

Thayre also visited Kok Lak community to meet local residents and learn about FFI’s livelihood model, which supports their work in the national park.

This included a workshop on the sustainable harvesting of malva nuts, a visit to the local eco-school and discussions with a local agro-forestry pilot site to learn about agricultural species diversification.

FFI representative Pablo Sinovas said the national park represents Cambodia’s share of the mega-biodiverse Annamites range and is the last bastion of some of the country’s rarest species, such as the endangered northern yellow-cheeked gibbon and the critically endangered large-antlered muntjac.

“We are laying the foundations for the long-term conservation of this critical trans-boundary landscape in the face of growing pressures across the region,” he said.

He added that FFI’s work in Virachey is the first conservation project undertaken in the park since 2008. The project marked the beginning of efforts to protect one of Cambodia’s core biologically-important and endangered tropical forests.

Phon Khemrin, director of the provincial environment department, said that during the visit, Thayre expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of the project.

“The embassy has a lot of interest in biodiversity conservation in the national park and other conservation areas in Ratanakkiri. The embassy enjoyed the work that the environment department, organisations and communities are doing to improve the lives of the people in this community,” he said.

According to Khemrin, the national park has a lot of potential for eco-tourism, which is rich in wildlife and natural beauty.

Khemrin said that park, with an area of 332,500ha, spans Ratanakkiri and Stung Treng provinces.