After three years of safeguards implementation in the Central Cardamon legacy landscape, there has been significant progress in advancing the Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) measures and enhancing provisions for environmental and social safeguards. As of July 2025, 56% of the measures have been implemented, and 44% are well underway.
Stakeholder engagement
- Conducted a socio-economic baseline assessment (applying SAPA and SAGE methodology), based on 493 household surveys, multiple focus groups, and consultations.
- Developed a feasibility study on agricultural and non-timber forest products (NTFP).
- Led workshops and research on political and stakeholder landscape.
- Integrated the above-mentioned assessments into work plans and program management systems.
- Engaged the Ministry of Environment (MoE), relevant general departments, and representatives from communities, protected areas, and NGOs (248 participants, 75 women) in the program’s annual planning meeting and consultation.
- Facilitated consultation meetings on protected area management with communities and local authorities at the provincial level, involving a total of 656 individuals.
- Designed a stakeholder engagement plan with quarterly meetings.
- Supported 22 villages in forming Village REDD+ facilitator groups (163 members; 69 women, and 69 Indigenous).
- Delivered REDD+ training to 233 participants across 8 communes, improving knowledge and engagement.
- Held annual REDD+ stakeholder meetings across 3 provinces, with 140 participants (26 women) shaping project priorities.
- Organized quarterly REDD+ stakeholder meetings in Kampong Speu, Koh Kong, and Pursat, chaired by Deputy District Governors with 109 attendees, leading to improving collaboration and actionable solutions.
- Developed and disclosed safeguard plans (ESAP, SEP, GMP) in English & Khmer for local communities and relevant stakeholders.
Human rights and law enforcement
- Organized safeguarding, human rights and first aid training for rangers, MoE and Provincial Department of Environment (PDOE) staff and CI staff members.
- Conducted a law enforcement security assessment (LESA) with support from ESPA (Endangered Species Protection Agency) and an internal review of Conservation International’s law enforcement work.
Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)
- Finalized free, prior, and informed consultations with all participating communities: 50 community consultations across 22 villages with 1867 participants (924 women).
- Conducted consultation meetings of the IP Plan with Chorng and Por communities in the target villages in Koh Kong, Kampong Speu, and Pursat.
- Finalized the Indigenous Peoples and Cultural heritages plan based on inputs collected from the consultation meetings conducted in May 2025.
Gender equity
- Advanced gender equity analysis and developed a gender action plan, encompassing the identification and training of gender champions.
- CI partnered with a local NGO, the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Centre (CWCC), to build the capacity of CI staff, particularly in integrating gender-based violence (GBV) approaches into project activities.
Grievance redress mechanism
- Used free, prior and informed consent protocol to design country level-accountability and grievance mechanism implemented for all programs including Central Cardamom with accessible channels for local communities and Indigenous Peoples, based on 40 grievance boxes located across 22 villages.
Livelihood support
- Conducted 5 agricultural feasibility assessments and developed the sustainable livelihoods strategy and program activities for the next three years.
- Initiated livelihoods interventions with targeted priority population segments, including the establishment of 4 savings groups across 2 villages; recruitment and training of 5 paravets and 126 chicken producers (99 women) to improve chicken production in 6 villages; trained and coached 48 lemongrass stalk producers and 3 local market facilitators within 3 villages; and provided enterprise trainings and coaching to a lemongrass essential oil enterprise. Engaged with commune councils and clerks (100 individuals, 31 women) to discuss community benefit-sharing mechanisms from carbon revenue and gathered input for future discussions at the village level.
Project governance
- The ToR of the steering committee has been approved, and the co-chair has been assigned by the MoE. The committee consists of 7 members (including 1 woman), with 2 community representative (1 IP). The committee conducted its first meeting in March 2025 to review role and responsibilities of committee members, and discussed the implications of the USAID stop work order on the project.
Biodiversity conservation
- Trained community members for camera trap-based biodiversity monitoring.
- Released a joint press statement from MOE, CI and partners on species monitoring, generating ~50 media covers across major outlets (BBC Wildlife, Guardian, AFP, Xinghua).
- Finalized and deployed bioacoustics surveys at 7 locations, detecting gibbons (48 recorded presences in 1,945 data points).
- Consulted key stakeholders to map the Siamese crocodile habitat, submitting for official endorsement.
Occupational health and safety
- Upgraded 2 ranger stations in Koh Kong province and facilities in Thma Bang station.
- Provided continuous training to rangers on law enforcement best practices, code of conduct, grievance mechanisms, community outreach, engagement, first aid, navigation, patrol tactics, and conflict resolution.