RECOFTC, Partnership for Forestry and Fisheries Community in Cambodia

General

Partnership for Forestry and Fisheries Community in Cambodia (PaFF) has been conducted in two phases since its inception in 2014. The third phase will be led by RECOFTC in partnership with WWF, NTFP-EP and CEPA. The third phase will continue o empower communities and to improve their resilience by promoting community-based livelihoods, protecting ecosystems and reducing the pressures on the communal natural resource base. The third phase will have a stronger focused on improving local communities' enjoyment of their human rights, building capacity at the grassroots level for participation in democratic processes and promoting the rule of law in relation to access to natural resources. The program will support improvements to the policy environment for natural resource management to promote local organisations to take responsible for and to receive benefit from management of natural resources in their communities. The third phase will also priorities improving the sustainability of the community based organisation. Support will be provided to 77 community based organisations from the previous phases in four provinces (Kampong Thom, Kratie, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear) that, in total, are managing more than 90 000 Ha with a combined membership of almost 40 000 persons. The total program budget i approximately 52 million SEK and is funded jointly with the Swiss development agency SDC. Sida's financial contribution is 36 million SEK.

Objectives

This contribution supports the final 2-year phase of an 8-year programme - the Partnership for Forestry and Fisheries Community in Cambodia (PaFF) - with a focus on improving natural resource management to benefit vulnerable groups. The primary focus of the third phase for is to build the capacity and promote the sustainability of community-based organisations, using a rights-based, democratic and rule of law based framework. PaFF III is well positioned to promote and develop innovative sustainable financing instruments and to promote human rights at the grassroots level by capacity development and policy advocacy targeting the revision on laws on Forestry and Fishery and community Networks. Impact: Rural and indigenous communities and households are empowered to manage and protect their natural resources and secure their economic, social and cultural human rights by accessing long-term funding opportunities that contribute to sustained livelihoods and improved resilience to natural shocks Outcome 1: Target communities have dedicated investments and strengthened capacity in order to exercise their secured rights and manage their natural resources sustainably in an inclusive and participatory manner Outcome 2: Policy and regulatory processes and platforms for sustainable natural resource management and financing mechanisms, with participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, are supported and promoted. Support will be provided to 77 community based organisations in four provinces (Kampong Thom, Kratie, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear) that are managing a total of 92 680 Ha. The community based organisations have a membership of almost 40 000 persons and benefit approximately 15 000 families. At the end of the 2 year programme the CBOs will have legally recognized land rights (tenure), approved management plans and increased management capacity. This together with improvement to the enabling environment and increased access to finance will empower the communities to further enjoy their economic, social, and cultural rights.