Cambodia interpretation of safeguard E
The National REDD+ Strategy will be implemented to promote the conservation of natural forests and biodiversity, the enhancement of social and environmental benefits, and will not result in the conversion of natural forests.
Core elements of Cambodia’s clarification of safeguard E:
- The conservation of natural forests and biological diversity is recognized and protected in the context of the implementation of the REDD+ strategy
- The REDD+ strategy will not incentivize the conversion of natural forests
- Enhancement of ecological, biological, climatic, and socio-cultural, benefits is recognized and protected in the context of the implementation of the REDD+ strategy.
Governance arrangements for safeguard E
Cambodia’s laws include provisions for the protection of natural forest areas. Recent policies provide additional mechanisms for the protection of natural forest areas and for the protection and conservation of biodiversity
Numerous laws and regulations require environmental planning, including forest and protected area management planning, and regular monitoring and evaluation.
Protected area and forestry legislation set some degree of control over conversion in both public and private forests through environmental impact assessments.
Cambodia has had a moratorium on issuing economic land concessions since 2012, which halts the conversion of forest lands to other land use due to economic land concessions and helps to maintain forest cover.
The Protected Area Law seeks to protect biological, natural and cultural resources for environmental, social and economic benefits, and the Forestry Law seeks to protect social, economic, environmental, and cultural heritage benefits of the permanent forest estate
The National REDD+ Strategy recognizes and promotes the achievement of multiple benefits. The Government recognizes that the sustainable management of forest resources will make an important contribution to local livelihoods, generate co-benefits and build resilience against extreme climate-change-induced events.
Information on implementation of safeguard E
E.1. Description of measures taken to ensure that REDD+ intervention do not result in the conversion of natural forests.
E.2. Description of whether and how the projected socio-cultural, economic and environmental benefits of the REDD+ PAMs were realised following implementation.
E.3. Description of how the implementation of REDD+ PAM has impacted biodiversity in accordance with Cambodia’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
E.4. Description of how benefit sharing arrangements functioned in practice.
E.5. Spatial information on the country’s natural forest cover before and after REDD+ implementation
E.6. Spatial information on extent of plantations nationally and rate of change in extent of plantations.
E.7. Statistics on jobs or businesses relating to sustainable use of natural forests and biodiversity, changes in incomes of communities that depend on natural forests, access to social services by those communities, etc.