Tmatboey (Tmat Paeuy) – Cambodia

Tmatbeoy community registered with MoE in 2006 and began its ecotourism services in 2007 supported by WCS in collaboration with the Kulen Prohmtep Wildlife Sanctuary, Preah Vihear Province. The aim of the ecotourism is to conserve the natural heritage and generate income for the local people within the village of Tmatbeoy. The local people who work with the project will have to follow two strict rules 1) no hunting 2) No deforestation and in return ecotourism is introduced and implemented in the community. This is because we want to change the behavior and attitude of the local people to no more hunting and cutting trees. People who work with the projects also share the rules among their families and relatives within the village. Project also promotes wildlife conservation and environment protection among the youth through education program and village meeting. The school also receive benefit from ecotourism such as library and clean water etc. Below is to show the success has been so far at Tmatbeoy from ecotourism. CONSERVATION To achieve the successful goal in conservation both the government, NGOs and local people from Tmatbeoy have planned a bunches of activity plans and projects such as;

-Create the Community Protected Area (CPA) that managed & controlled by community

-Create Conservation Core Zone and Community Zone -Nest protection scheme of endangered species -Conserve the natural habitat -Restore damaged habitat and feeding areas -Daily and weekly patrol -Wildlife research

Note Picture -1 : Community fix the dam of a pond to maintained water for wildlife and birds Picture -2 : Community members patrol their CPA and do inventory of some trees Picture -3 : Community members select their reserve ricefield land for their next generation. As result the community has received a CPA comprises 1,763 hectares where they safe guard patrol between 2 or 3 times per month. The nest protection scheme help to ensure the success of reproductive of the endangered species and population stable (see figure -1 & 2). Pond modification (digging the pond and make it deeper to maintain water more in the dry season) for wildlife and birds (see picture -1/2/3).

Figure -1: Nest protection for endangered species – White-shouldered Ibis. Wildlife Conservation Society Cambodia, (2016).

Figure -2: Nest protection for endangered species – Giant Ibis. Wildlife Conservation

Society Cambodia, (2016).

Picture -1/2/3: Community dig the pond & fix the dam of reservoir to keep water for dry season

EDUCATION As we find that shifting agriculture, hunting and cutting the trees was part of living culture and have been practiced very long time ago and it still affect natural resources and biodiversity on present day. To change their habit and attitude to hunting and land clearance first is to change their thought and knowledge regarding conservation and environment. The government, NGOs and local community and authority have done with adults and students throughout doors and indoor class.

Local people is aware of environment concern, conservation matter and know better of how can they do to involve and help to protect their environment and conservation of the habitat and biodiversity, they protect the roost tree of the ibis. LIVELIHOOD Here to achieve the successful goal in conservation, alternative livelihood is always on target program inside the management plan, the government, NGOs and local people from Tmatbeoy have create two main projects: 1) ecotourism 2) ibis rice.

1. Ecotourism: the community will generate income by providing accommodation, food and local guiding to visitors and every visitor will also contribute (40USD) for village development.

2. Ibis Rice: https://ibisrice.com/ the Ibis Rice Conservation Co., Ltd pays farmers a premium of up to 50% for their crop in return for organic practices and conservation compliance; zero hunting, no logging and adherence to land-use plans.

Community meeting with partner about service management Local guide training before the tourist season A). Ecotourism It plays very important role to help support alternative livelihood of local people of Tmatbeoy, moreover it also changes the behavior and attitude of villagers to conservation and environment. More than 25 people from the village working in ecotourism such as housekeeper, site manager, cooks and local guides. Every year more than two hundred international bird watchers, naturalist and bird photographers visit Tmatbeoy.

Service team during birding at Tmatbeoy Bird watchers/photographers visit Tmatbeoy The community received an annual income of about twenty five thousand UD dollars. Visitors will pay for accommodation, food, and local guiding, soft drink, laundry and village development fund when they visit Tmatbeoy. Village Development Fund – is an amount of money (40USD per pax of visitor) that paid by visitor who visit Tmatbeoy. The money will be used for the development of their village such as road building, road fixing, pump wells, and support poor family etc. The community will hold a meeting with the whole villagers to discuss and vote for the use of the Village Development Fund. Please see figure -3 for income the community received between 2015 – 2018.

1). Individual Benefit About 25 families from Tmatbeoy receive an extra income of 200 – 400 USD per year from ecotourism (guiding, cooking, cleaning the lodge etc.) which help their families for the daily demands. 2). Village Development In an amount of 7,000.00 – 9,000.00 USD per year has been generated and used to develop the village of Tmatbeoy such as road building, pump well and sponsor for poor family.

New village road building Water drainage for village road Support poor family & elders

3). Community Capacity Building and Infrastructure Development To provide better services both Tmatbeoy community and partners usually try to improve infrastructure such as lodge, restaurant and kitchen to have more facilities and comfort. Ecotourism operaters, such as Sam Veansa Center (SVC) and Cambodia Bird Guiding Association (CBGA), also invest to improve the community service team by new training, meeting and site visit. Below some pictures of meeting, training at Tmatbeoy:

Local guides training by CBGA Cooking training by CBGA 4). Ibis Rice; https://ibisrice.com/ A concept initiated by WCS now driven by the Ibis Rice Conservation Co., Ltd (IRCC) IBIS Rice is an ambitious, not-for-profit conservation enterprise working with Cambodian farmers to produce world-class, organic jasmine rice whilst supporting communities to protect the hábitat around them. By working together with all stakeholders, WCS, IBIS Rice farmers and government establish agreements giving villagers secure user rights for the first time. Knowing their right to live on and use the land was legally secure encouraged farmers to think longer-term. Through the IBIS Rice project, they agreed to use environmentally friendly farming methods, follow land-use plans that limit deforestation, and to stop hunting wildlife. Any rice project must be about agriculture. But the IBIS Rice project is also about empowering local farmers to commit to preserving their environment. In return IRCC buys paddy (rice still in its husk or not yet threshed) directly from the farmers—paying up to 50% above market price. In 2019 IRCC purchased 342,000kgs of paddy - generating $156,150 usd in revenue for Tmatboey. IRCC then processes, packages and markets market a range of jasmine wholefoods and snacks. Certified organic to both European and US standard, IBIS Rice is now selling around the globe.

The work at Tmatbauy would not have been possible without the generous support of donors past and present, including: UNDP-GEF USAID US Fish and Wildlife Service Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies MacArthur Foundation Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Europeon Union (EU) NICFI (NORAD) Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) Darwin Initiative (UK DEFRA Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG) IUCN SOS UNEP