Mondulkiri: Sustainable management of protected areas is helping improve rural livelihoods in northeastern Cambodia, Environment Minister H.E. Dr. Eang Sophalleth said during a visit to Mondulkiri province recently.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, during a field trip on Feb. 27, H.E. Dr. Sophalleth inspected a bamboo-processing project operated by Bambusa Global Ventures (BGV) in Koh Nhek district. The company is working with communities in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary to develop sustainable bamboo resource management and value-added production.

BGV provides training and capacity building for members of protected-area communities on bamboo cultivation, maintenance and sustainable harvesting, as well as processing techniques to produce furniture, panels, construction materials and biochar. The company has also expanded cultivation of high-quality Ping Pung bamboo suitable for furniture manufacturing.

The minister urged environment officials to strengthen cooperation with relevant ministries, local authorities, development partners, the private sector, and local communities to improve law enforcement against natural-resource crimes while promoting sustainable use of non-timber forest products to support local incomes.

H.E. Dr. Sophalleth said vocational training and skills development in sustainable natural-resource management help foster community ownership and improve livelihoods, including through the development of eco-tourism destinations.

He said the approach has helped shift some community members away from illegal logging and wildlife hunting toward alternative occupations such as tourism services, generating higher and more stable incomes.

BGV has operated in Cambodia since 2010, working with local communities in Koh Nhek district to harvest, replant, and process bamboo into a range of commercial products.