Regional Environmental Technical Assistance 5771
Poverty Reduction & Environmental Management in Remote Greater
Mekong Subregion Watersheds Project (Phase I)

RRA REPORT ON WATERSHEDS
IN PURSAT AND KAMPONG CHHNANG PROVINCES

Watershed Profile

By

Ieng Sovannora

1.0 Introduction, Rationale and Objectives

1.1 Introduction

Pursat province (previously called Potisat), approximately 200 km from Phnom Penh and close to Tonle Sap, has one of Cambodia’s prime watersheds. Its protection would contribute to the protection of two wildlife sanctuaries in the area – Orall Mountain and Sam Kos.

Prior to the field survey, the Study Team met the Minister of Environment, responsible for watershed management (a high priority) and wildlife sanctuaries, e.g., Orall National Park, and the Director of the Forestry Department. The Minister recommended a focus on Orall mountain. The Forestry Department, which works closely with the Ministry of Environment and other agencies, such as: CONCERN, WORLDWIDE, UNDP/CARE, and MCC, supports development of forest communities, e.g., in community forestry training and reforestation.

Key Forest Department strategies are to:

• Eliminate "anarchic" deforestation, particularly by large-scale logging;
• Strengthen sustainable forest management practices;
• Manage forest resources and promote reforestation.

Three big forest concession companies operate in Pursat: Superwood (94,499 Ha), Youri Sakor (196,310 Ha), and Great International (163,200 Ha), however, of these only the Superwood Forest Concession Company is more or less permanent and is constructing a wood processing factory.

1.2 Rationale for the study

Pursat province watershed with an area of 2,423 sq. km, supports a population of 357,172, mostly poor people, 70% of whom (80% women) are considered to be at or below the poverty line. Poverty and environmental degradation are working together to worsen the environmental and social situations. Both require specific strategies to address them.

This study attempts to understand the factors linking poverty and environmental degradation.

1.3 Objectives

There are five objectives, namely, to:

• Identify key issues on environmental aspects of forestry;
• Identify forest cover, forest quality and forest type;
• Identify the causes of deforestation, soil erosion, reduction in fresh-water volumes and fish production, and other resource loss within the watershed area;
• Assess the relative importance of the different causes of environmental degradation;
• Determine the severity of natural resources management issues, such as: land-use, slash and burn cultivation, other dry-season fires, livestock raising, water use (e.g., volume and efficiency), and the types of forest and environmental information required to address these issues.

2.0 Methodology

During March, 1999, data was gathered in selected villages of two districts of Pursat province: Sompou Meas, and Phnom Krovanh, and Toek Phas district of Kampong Chhnang province. The Team met the Governor of Pursat Province, and a selection of provincial officials, NGOs, district officials, commune chiefs and villagers in both provinces (Exhibit 1)

Primary data was gathered via discussions, questionnaire guided interviews and direct observation. Because of the limited time, only some officials and NGOs were met. Secondary data was gathered from the Provincial Statistics office, National Statistics centre, Department of Geographic Information and other sources.

All selected villages were located along the Pursat River and its tributaries (Santrae and Arail rivers) where villagers where villagers have experience of environmental degradation.

Exhibit 1: Responses to the Field Survey (March 99)

3.0 Introduction to Pursat Province

Pursat Province of 12,692 sq. Km, in the West of Cambodia, is remote and scarcely populated. The province is divided into six districts, 49 communes and 495 villages with a total population of 357,172. Population data are presented in Exhibit 2.

It is politically and economically important for Cambodia because of its rich natural resources. For example, its watershed was chosen by the MoE to be first priority among the 3 watersheds assessed in Cambodia: Pursat, Sen and Sesan.

The districts and villages for which information is reported are highlighted in the tables below.

Exhibit 2: Population of Pursat by District

Note: Veal Veng was established as a separate commune under the Khmer Rouge just 2-years ago, hence, records and documents are lacking.

3.1 Information on Selected Districts and Communes

Sompou Meas District, Pursat

Sampou Meas, 186 km from Phnom Penh, covers 43,900 ha and has a total population of 53,591 people, 28,400 of whom are female. The district has 7 communes and 63 villages with 9,493 families (Exhibit 3).

Exhibit 3: Sampou Meas District: Population, Land Use and Poverty Level

Many local and international NGOs conduct projects mostly to promote compost-making and fish farming, e.g., CARE has its "Seila project" in Pursat and also in Battambong and Banteay Meanchey provinces, and the Environmental Protection and Development Organisation (EPDO) trained 11 Prey Nhy families in fish farming in October 1998.

Phnom Krovanh District

Leach Commune, situated on Road No. 56, is 28 Km from Pursat provincial town. The people are farmers, collectors of sandalwood, loggers, hunters and fishermen. Domestic animals include: cattle, buffalo, pigs, chickens and ducks; vets work in each village. Wildlife hunting and trafficking activities are low.

The commune covers an area of 516,691 ha but has only 13,085 ha in cultivation, 9,500 ha in rice fields. The rest is forest and abandoned land. Forest now covers 90% of the area, down slightly from 95% in 1970. Population and other data are shown in Exhibit 4.

Exhibit 4: Phnom Krovanh District: Population and Poverty Level

The commune has 8 villages of 1,711 families (8,890 people - 4,305 female). There are two schools and one Junior high school and refineries to extract sandalwood oil from the sandalwood.

Pro-Ngil commune, located on Road No. 56 and Pursat River, has an economy based on rice and crop cultivation watered by abundant water from the river. Some families produce cane sugar. The people depend less on forest products as a source of income than other villages.

The farmers of Leach and Prongil, located along the road, sell produce in the market. In Prongil, they are slightly better off and have a recreation centre at Bactra Mountain, and both communes provide a good example of community forestry where the forest is protected and managed by/for local people. However, the average standard of living is still very low and the people of both communes require training in forestry, agriculture and health care.

Rokart Commune, located between Santrae and Arai rivers and Rokart Mountain, has 4 villages (Prey Smach, Prey Klong, Veal Vong and Miell) situated along the road to Khsach Pouk. Dry-season water supply is the main problem of this agricultural commune, particularly for families settled away from the river. They want a pump or well, but can't afford either.

Local people collect Sandalwood from the forest 10-km away (slides: 1 and 2), cut trees and gather forest products, and practice shifting cultivation (slash and burn) in the uplands with rainfall rice production yielding less than 1 ton/ha and contributing to deforestation and erosion. Shifting agriculture has been the main source of livelihood in the highlands for centuries except for the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-79), when the highlanders were forced to move to the lowlands and grow rice. The main crops are rice, sesame and corn. Crop production is largely used for home consumption.

Improved rice varieties and management practices are required to improve food production which has good potential in areas of fertile where the soil, e.g., in Ksach Pouk and near Rokart mountain.

The guideline for forest management in Pursat is based on Prakas No: 01, to depress anarchic logging and transport of logs. It includes the following objectives, to:

• Manage and protect forest.
• Promote effective enforcement of regulations and rules.
• Foster co-operation between agencies and provincial authorities to stop illegal logging and transport.
• Promote/conduct public education and awareness.
• Promote reforestation.

Samrong commune, with 9 villages, is near the junction of the three rivers: Pursat, Arai, and Santre. Por ethnic minority people who previously lived in the highlands of Krovanh Mountain now live together with Khmer lowland people. Sixty % of the people have lived in this area for a long-time, but apart from 25% of the population which moved here from the valley area controlled by the Khmer Rouge, another 15% are ethnic Cham and Por. All are farmers. Women do most of the agricultural work. Men assist with farming, raise animals, collect forest products and cut trees, mostly sandalwood. A few gather Thmor Keo (marble) and some cultivate sugar palm. There is a small market for local produce.

Exhibit 8 shows that the poverty level varies from village to village but on average is a high as elsewhere. Most families raise oxen, buffalo, chickens, duck, pig and produce and all animals are vaccinated twice a year by veterinary agents. Women make up 60% of the total population and 70% of the ethnic Por (Exhibit 8). They play an important role in planning family activities.

Exhibit 8: Samrong Commune: Population, Land Use and Poverty Level

There are three types of forest resources in Samrong commune (see slides 16 and 17):

• Dry dipterocarp forest
• Semi-dense forest
• Dense forest

Samrong commune is a high priority area in terms of watershed management and for many different interests of government. The commune allows people to take limited forest products, e.g., for house construction (Opeal Village) but Klem Chan species have been largely destroyed. The Team was told that this kind of tree has almost disappeared from Pursat. It remains only in Phnom Krovanh valley.

Difficulties in Samrong commune include:

• Lack of knowledge of human, cultural and religious rights and social customs and the rights of the people to their land and forest areas and responsibility to stop unlawful deforestation;
• There is one health centre but it lacks medicine and there are not enough school rooms for the number of children, e.g. Opeal and Veal villages do not have a school, and Ta Des has one class-room for the children of 123 families;
• Roads are in poor condition;
• There is no market place where local people can sell their produce.

Kampong Chhnang Province

Kbal Toek commune, Toek Phos district, is located in the Orall mountain wildlife sanctuary. Forest resources are very rich but the poverty level is very high (Exhibit 5).

Exhibit 5: Orall Mountain: Population and Poverty Level

3.2 Environmental Education (Pursat)

In May 1998, Environment Department staff provided villagers from 100 families in 40 villages with training in environmental awareness, pesticide use and composting (using organic waste, plants, and human and animal excrement).

Local NGOs (Samaki Thor, Environmental Protection and Development Organisation - EPDO) distribute seedlings of various species to local schools, pagodas and families for planting every year. They also organise community forestry in Keo Mony and Raksmey Samaki pagodas (located in Krakor district, Pursat) and run a local community program on composting; 100 local people from 10 communes participate. After training, villagers recognise the quality and importance of compost and how to apply it to the rice-fields.

Also in Sompou Meas, two communes (Koh Chhung and Roleap) situated along road No. 56, operate small-scale plantations of Teak, Acacia, Koki etc., some of which were planted during the 60s and 70s and Acacia in the 80s. Also there are areas of grassland and degraded cultivated land.

Environmental aspects are shown in slides 7, 8, and 9.

Exhibit 6:

There is an agricultural extension program to improve agricultural production. In order to survive, families seek employment in logging or collect forest products. Some people cut Sandalwood (Khlem Chan) and collect marble from about 20 km away in Ta Sai hill.

The local people said that before 1970, the forest was strictly protected. People dared not cut trees for fear of being fined. To build a house they needed permission from the provincial forestry office in Leach. In the dry season some local people worked as forestry staff employed by forest concessions and traditionally paid respect to big old trees by building a small spirit house and by not cutting the trees.

Sangkum Reastr Niyum villagers had a fairly good living standard before 1970. This was based on rich natural resources: fish, wild-life and the forest, people could easily find food to support their daily life and could generate some income. Traditionally, they occasionally went fishing or hunting but in a group and shared the benefits fairly. Local people raise domestic animal such as pigs, chickens, cows and buffaloes just for substance and for agricultural use, and are very interested in traditional medicine and medicinal plants found locally. Fifty years ago, some families made a living hunting elephants. It is said that there were about 25 elephants near Santrae village.

Slash and burn cultivation on a 3-year cycle is still practised by the local people. Unfortunately, the alternative of sustainable harvesting of non-timber forest products is not practised.

The elderly people are concerned that the remaining forest and the wildlife will disappear. They question how the new generation will survive. Local people recommended that the Government protect the remaining forest with the hope that after 10 or 20 years the forest could provide suitable construction materials, income, and job opportunities.

Wildlife are mainly hunted and traded by outsiders - sometimes forest concessionaires. Local people cut the forest for house construction (see slides 15 and 16), other materials and income generation. They raise mostly pigs, ducks and chickens and a few cattle or buffalo.

Local children used to attend a school about 10-km away but now there is no school in either Ksach Pouk or Veal. The people recommended up-grading a school facility and training teachers.

The commune did not properly divide the rice fields or farms to each family of the each village (e.g., there should be 30m x 70m of land per household). Land holding and land distribution problems arose because the people were moved during 1996/97.

As in Samrong, there are 3 types of forest: dry dipterocarp forest in the foot hills, dense forest higher on Oral Mountain, but the semi-dense forest is here comprised of bamboo in the higher land surrounding villages and rice fields. The forest is rich in wildlife such as: tiger, banteng, gaur etc.

Local people are not involved in logging but people from other regions come to cut forest in this commune.

Local people indicated that they protect the forest and should not be blamed for its loss. They use forest resources in the traditional, sustainable way – mostly for house construction, household materials, agricultural tools and as raw materials.

There are two big rivers Chrey Bak and Kraing Ponley but there is no water system in the commune. Lack of water is a big constraint for household and agricultural uses.

Several NGOs based in Toek Phos district (e.g., WFP, PRASAC, IRC, LWS) are helping to develop local roads, schools and water supply, and with health and rural credit services.

4.0 FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Findings and Conclusions

There are several inter-linked general conclusions:

• Pursat watershed shows considerable variability in the physical and socio-economic status of the different villages included in the survey;
• Population pressure is growing and in many cases already beyond the carrying capacity of natural resources. This is made worse because of the extreme degradation of agricultural areas;
• Slash and burn agriculture is practised widely but yields are low – generally less than 1t/ha – except in Kbal Toek where soil quality and planting practices support yields of 2.5 t/ha;
• Agricultural extension programs are very important to assist farmers to change practices; Food crops are mainly utilised for home consumption;
• Poverty is widespread and linked to environmental degradation caused by the pressures for survival in a situation where knowledge, basic skills, soil productivity and water availability are most usually very limited;
• Often sick people cannot use the traditional medicine but non-traditional medical services are rarely if ever available in the area and a number of health facilities were destroyed during the flooding three years ago;
• The current institutional capacity to embrace the multi-sectoral nature of watershed management is inadequate at the national, provincial and district levels;
• The success of future development projects is contingent upon the identification and wide agreement on a set of achievable objectives
• Many of the problems associated with sound environmental management of Pursat watershed have simple technical solutions, e.g. land use planning and land allocation are old concepts, but without meaningful land tenure and sensible controls on logging, the prospects for sustainable management of natural resources are almost nil;
• Local authorities should gradually depress forest cutting, charcoal kiln activities and wood collection. Burning forest for farming and illegally occupying forestland as their property are also being gradually prohibited and prevented. Under Government guideline No. 3, each family is legally able to occupy five hectares of land;
• Targeting of remote areas has achieved greater success when combined with infrastructure improvements such as, roads, wells, schools, health facilities, irrigation works, and services such as, education, and health services;
• Without political will, supported by enforcement of legislation, progress will be slow and very limited.

4.2 Recommendations

It is recommended that:

1. The first development priority focus on human resource development, literacy and life skills training, and vocational training, and that government and non-government organisations should be given the training required to enable them to work successfully with the highland people.
2. The Government, local NGOs, and international NGOs implement programs to assist the area's economy, culture and tourism (particularly eco-tourism), and provide environmental and health education and other training.
3. The ways to mitigate environmental degradation and to increase upland agricultural productivity include the following:

• Encourage settled agricultural practices (extension education, improved plant varieties, use of compost fertiliser);
• Encourage reforestation through small-scale community forestry programs;
• Develop and introduce soil and water conservation practices;
• Ensure that indigenous women have opportunities to participate in decision making;
• Provide vocational training to alleviate poverty and improve skills in upland communities;
• Build capacity for integrated disaster management;
• Promote sustainable harvesting of natural products as part of forest management;
• Promote social initiatives and social services in education, health and family support;
• Establish micro projects to support the development of income generating skills;
• Upgrade health clinics, schools and the training of health and teaching staff;
• Construct rural road and net works linked to markets (and establish markets wherever viable);
• Provide safe drinking water and small-scale irrigation schemes.

Acknowledgements

The survey was organised and the report prepared by Mr. Sovannora Ieng.

It was funded by ADB-RETA: 5783

The Survey Team is grateful to the following people:

His Excellency Dr. Mok Mareth, Minister of Environment, for his strong support;

HE Mr. Pech Sokhim, Second Deputy Governor of Pursat Province for his kindness in supporting the survey in terms of personal security of team members;

Mr. Ty Sakun, Acting Director of Department of Forestry and wildlife (MoAFF);

Mr. Sao Daroun, Governor of Phnom Krovanh district and his collaborator, and Mr. Ung Vong Deun, Deputy Governor of Toek Phos district and his collaborators, for their kindness and support;

Mr. Chem Phon, Director of Environment office of Phnom Krovanh district, and Mrs. Dok Sothea, Chief of Environment in the Kompong Chhnang office for their strong collaboration;

Colonel Chhim Nem, Chief of Khmer Rouge in Krosach Pouk Phnom, Krovanh district for his kindness and support; and

Chiefs of communes: Santrae, Samrong, Leach, and Rokar, Kompong Chhnang province for their collaboration.

List of Slides

1 Three focal points of Pursat river.

2 Because the river divides into three parts, for ease of memory people used to name their villages by the names of the river as bellow:

3 River number 3. A village about 20m from the river.

4 In front of rivers number 1 & 2.

5 Local people believed that, at the three focal points of the river, were 2 big Snakes which, if alive, would ensure the annual the flood.

6 Soil erosion along the river.

7 In the Poll Pot regime, people were made to construct a dam (called Old Dam) across the first river but it was destroyed by flood.

8 Canal for water to the rice field.

9 & 10 Health care centre - destroyed by flood in 1997/98.

11 Some parts of the river have no water. For ease of crossing the river, the commune built a bridge, but for 1 way crossing a fee must be paid.

12 Government policy constrains logging and forbids modern transport but clever people use buffalo or cow carts instead of trucks to export timber from the forest.

13 A place for steaming sandalwood but destroyed by provincial authority.

14 Sandalwood tank.

15 Interview with poor minority who have no understanding of the real situation.

16 A father and daughter who just meet again after the re-integration of the Khmer Rouge in 1997. They used to live in different places for 25 years.

17 Children in the watershed zone.

18 & 19 Family livestock.

20 Black spider "called A-pink" is the best food for local people.

21 Collecting secondary data from commune authority and village leader.

22 Document on commune population.

23 Tree planting around the foot of the mountain in Backset, Cham-krong.

24 A buddhist pagoda to protect forest resources in the watershed areas (because 90% of people are Buddhists) and this encourages them to not cut down trees.

25 About 15 km from the foot of Oral mountain.

26 People living along the foot of mountain.

27 These men can tell everything on wildlife and all kinds of tree.

28 Palm sugar culture provides the secondary job after rice culture.

29 Rice field in fertile soil near the foot of the mountain. Local people never use chemical fertiliser but rice production is very high.

30 They use buffalo in difficulty conditions (bad road) to export timber.

31 & 32 Bamboo near the foot of the mountain.

33, 34, 35, 36, 37 The young. Will they continue to live in this area without schools, good communication and lack of pure water?