Waterfalls in the Phnom Tbeng Mountains.

The Phnom Tbeng Mountains is a very important area for Galliformes and supports a number of Globally Threatened species. Within Cambodia a belief in scared species and sites, where people have respect animals and forests for religious and cultural reasons is still strong. Some of these scared sites and the beliefs that protect the habitats and species they contain are amongst some of the strongest forms of protection that exist, being better enforced those official protected area legislation and forest law. This project plans to use this highly effective form of protection to conserve important habitats and the species they contain, using green peafowl as a flagship species.

The project aims to develop and implement an action plan for conserving green peafowl and its habitat within the Phnom Tbeng Mountains in Preah Vihea province through establishing the joint Forestry Administration and Tbeng Meanchey district-based Green Peafowl Conservation Groups besides from the Buddhist monk and Community-based Green Peafowl Conservation Groups funded by SWBG. Therefore, the project area will be carried out by many relevant stakeholders including Wildlife Protection Office, Tbeng Meanchey Forestry Administration Division, Tbeng Meanchey district, Local Communities and Buddhist monks. However, every forestry law enforcement activities will be responsible by Forestry Administration officials.

When developing a long-term strategy in conserving and developing the larger and longer project area, it is essential in establishing many collaborative groups between Wildlife Protection Office, Local Forestry Administration (Tbeng Meanchey and Sangkum Thmey Forestry Administration Divisions), Local Authorities (Tbeng Meanchey and Sangkum Thmey districts), Local Communities (Communes and Villages) and (Phnom Tbeng pagoda) Buddhist monks in the project activities called “Law Enforcement Teams - LET”. However, each LETs will be led by Forestry Administration officials, and local authorities and communities are collaborative forces (safeguard and informant).

Regarding to this grant, the project will support all activities of a collaborative Law Enforcement Team for Tbeng Meanchey sub-area (Tbeng Meanchey and Rovieng districts) only. Addition, the project will monitor the status and threats of green peafowl in the area and adjacent area in order to evaluate the planed implementation of the project. Then, the project will update its plan for next activities. In response to project participation, local authorities and communities will be provided benefits through job employment, and establishment of market for their agricultural products.