Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia
Climate-change mitigation projects are expected to improve local livelihoods in targeted areas. Several REDD+ projects aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserving and enhancing forest carbon stocks, and sustainably managing forests have been implemented in Cambo...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020306472 |
| _version_ | 1818516254807293952 |
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| author | Sereyrotha Ken Tomoe Entani Takuji W. Tsusaka Nophea Sasaki |
| author_facet | Sereyrotha Ken Tomoe Entani Takuji W. Tsusaka Nophea Sasaki |
| author_sort | Sereyrotha Ken |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate-change mitigation projects are expected to improve local livelihoods in targeted areas. Several REDD+ projects aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserving and enhancing forest carbon stocks, and sustainably managing forests have been implemented in Cambodia but few studies have examined the effects on local livelihoods before and during project implementation. Our study applies a sustainable livelihood framework to assess the livelihood assets of local communities in the Oddar Meanchey and Keo Seima REDD+ project sites in Cambodia before and during project implementation. Five capital assets, namely natural, physical, human, financial, and social capital, are assessed and scored on a 1-to-5 Likert scale. Data analysis collected through 252 interviews in Oddar Meanchey and Keo Seima reveals a slight increase in livelihood assets in both sites from project validation to implementation. Generally, the mean scores for local livelihood assets increased from 2.81 ± 0.07 (±is followed by the standard error) and 2.66 ± 0.06 to 3.07 ± 0.09 and 3.06 ± 0.08 in Oddar Meanchey and Keo Seima, respectively. Nevertheless, natural capital assets sharply declined from 3.50 and 3.32 to 2.09 and 2.25, respectively. Respondents mainly blamed illegal logging for the decline, suggesting that strict patrolling and enforcement must be implemented. Furthermore, the scarcity of carbon-credit buyers and the projects’ inability to generate carbon-based revenues has led to dissatisfaction among local communities, inducing avoidable illegal activities in pursuit of short-term benefits. A financial mechanism to ensure sufficient and sustained financial support regardless of carbon-market volatility is urgently needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:39:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9fe79f0c5ba34a258d92ee1803c076cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:39:38Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-9fe79f0c5ba34a258d92ee1803c076cf2022-12-22T01:26:59ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402020-04-0164e03802Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, CambodiaSereyrotha Ken0Tomoe Entani1Takuji W. Tsusaka2Nophea Sasaki3Graduate School of Applied Informatics, University of Hyogo, Japan; Wildlife Conservation Society, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Corresponding author.Graduate School of Applied Informatics, University of Hyogo, JapanNatural Resources Management, Asian Institute of Technology, ThailandNatural Resources Management, Asian Institute of Technology, ThailandClimate-change mitigation projects are expected to improve local livelihoods in targeted areas. Several REDD+ projects aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserving and enhancing forest carbon stocks, and sustainably managing forests have been implemented in Cambodia but few studies have examined the effects on local livelihoods before and during project implementation. Our study applies a sustainable livelihood framework to assess the livelihood assets of local communities in the Oddar Meanchey and Keo Seima REDD+ project sites in Cambodia before and during project implementation. Five capital assets, namely natural, physical, human, financial, and social capital, are assessed and scored on a 1-to-5 Likert scale. Data analysis collected through 252 interviews in Oddar Meanchey and Keo Seima reveals a slight increase in livelihood assets in both sites from project validation to implementation. Generally, the mean scores for local livelihood assets increased from 2.81 ± 0.07 (±is followed by the standard error) and 2.66 ± 0.06 to 3.07 ± 0.09 and 3.06 ± 0.08 in Oddar Meanchey and Keo Seima, respectively. Nevertheless, natural capital assets sharply declined from 3.50 and 3.32 to 2.09 and 2.25, respectively. Respondents mainly blamed illegal logging for the decline, suggesting that strict patrolling and enforcement must be implemented. Furthermore, the scarcity of carbon-credit buyers and the projects’ inability to generate carbon-based revenues has led to dissatisfaction among local communities, inducing avoidable illegal activities in pursuit of short-term benefits. A financial mechanism to ensure sufficient and sustained financial support regardless of carbon-market volatility is urgently needed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020306472BusinessEconomicsLivelihood improvementREDD+Natural capitalPhysical capital |
| spellingShingle | Sereyrotha Ken Tomoe Entani Takuji W. Tsusaka Nophea Sasaki Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia Heliyon Business Economics Livelihood improvement REDD+ Natural capital Physical capital |
| title | Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia |
| title_full | Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia |
| title_fullStr | Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia |
| title_short | Effect of REDD+ projects on local livelihood assets in Keo Seima and Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia |
| title_sort | effect of redd projects on local livelihood assets in keo seima and oddar meanchey cambodia |
| topic | Business Economics Livelihood improvement REDD+ Natural capital Physical capital |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020306472 |
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