Cambodia Protects Forested Mountains, Rare Animals

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http://ens-news.com/ens/jul2002/2002-07-31-02.asp

 

Cambodia Protects Forested Mountains, Rare Animals

 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, July 31, 2002 (ESN) - One

million acres of pristine wilderness, inhabited by

tigers, elephants and bears, has been officially

protected by the Cambodian government, with financial

and conservation support from six U.S. and

international organizations.

 

The declaration creating the Central Cardamoms

Protected Forest in southwestern Cambodia's Central

Cardamom Mountains was signed into law Tuesday by

Prime Minister Hun Sen.

 

Two wildlife sanctuaries border the newly designated

area, bringing the total land area under protection to

2.44 million acres (990,000 hectares), the largest,

most pristine wilderness in mainland Southeast Asia.

 

" This is a huge step forward for the protection of our

country's amazing array of life, " said Ty Sokhun,

director general of Cambodia's Department of Forestry

and Wildlife. " Animals found virtually nowhere else in

the world can thrive freely in our forests. "

 

Rare species such as the Indochinese tiger, the Asian

elephant and the Malaysian sun bear survive there, as

do globally threatened species such as the pileated

gibbon and the critically endangered Siamese

crocodile, which has its only known wild breeding

population in the Cardamoms.

 

But trade in endangered wildlife takes place on the

streets of Phnom Penh, where the skins and body parts

of bears, tigers, elephants, crocodiles and other

animals are for sale. These items are smuggled to

neighboring countries, for use in traditional

medicine.

To control illegal trade, Cambodian government

rangers, military police and community monitors are

patrolling and enforcing forest and wildlife laws in

the protected area.

 

The Cardamoms were a last stronghold of the Khmer

Rouge until its collapse in 1998. Isolated and

inhabited by few people, the rare and endangered

animals have survived while most of mainland Southeast

Asia has been stripped of its forests and wildlife by

loggers and hunters.

 

Until last year, the Cardamoms were slated for

logging. In January 2001, the Washington, DC based

environmental organization Conservation International

secured a deal with the Cambodian government to ban

commercial logging in the Cardamoms while the

conservationists worked with the Cambodian Department

of Forestry and Wildlife to justify the area's

permanent protection.

 

" This is an excellent example of how the conservation

movement is supposed to work, " said Peter Seligmann,

chairman and CEO of Conservation International (CI).

" CI has been on the ground in Cambodia working in

alliances with other environmental groups, government

agencies and local people. It adds up to be great news

for Cambodia's biodiversity and the Cambodian people. "

 

 

Conservation International's Global Conservation Fund,

which has been financing work in the Cardamoms for

more than a year, is providing the financial support

for the protection and management of the Cardamoms.

 

Further support is being provided by the United

Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global

Environment Facility.

 

Major funding is also being provided by the U.S.

Agency for International Development and the United

Nations Foundation.

 

Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations

Foundation, said, " The Cardamom Mountains are a

treasure trove of wildlife and an important watershed

for Cambodia. We are proud that UN Foundation's

partnership with UNDP, Conservation International and

Flora and Fauna International has helped make it

possible for the Cambodian government to protect this

area of immense biodiversity. "

 

Fauna and Flora International is assisting the

Cambodian government with the management and

protection of the two wildlife sanctuaries bordering

the Central Cardamoms. The 825,000 acre (334,000

hectare) Mt. Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary is west of the

Central Cardamom Mountains; the 627,000 acre (254,000

hectare) Mt. Aural Wildlife Sanctuary lies to the

east.

 

Conservation International's Cambodia country program

is advising the government on protected area

management, as well as training, patrolling and

intelligence gathering.

" The government's decision to declare the Cardamoms a

protected area demonstrates a clear, long term vision

for Cambodia's future, " said David Mead, CI-Cambodia's

country representative. " The government has shown

strong environmental leadership, opened the door to

long term international support for wildlife

protection and ecotourism and has honored a promise

made two years ago to conserve the Cardamoms. "

 

Even greater protection for this unique wild area

would be available if it were to be placed on UNESCO's

List of World Heritage, a goal for all the groups

involved. Wirth said, " This is a vital first step

towards declaring the Cardamom Mountains area a World

Heritage site which will result in greater

international recognition and increased resources for

this park. "

 

Cambodia's largest rivers flow from the Cardamoms, and

Conservation International says protection of the

watershed is expected to reduce flooding downstream.

Floods caused damage estimated at $156 million in

2000, when the country experienced the worst flooding

in 70 years.

 

Conservation International plans to work with the

Cambodian government and NGO partners to encourage the

creation of an even larger conservation corridor,

which would connect the Cardamoms to the coast,

ensuring the protection of seasonal elephant migration

routes.

 

The Cardamoms are part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity

hotspot, one of 25 global hotspots that represent only

1.4 percent of the Earth's landmass but are home to

more than 60 percent of all terrestrial species.

 

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2002. All

Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

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