The status of Prey Lang 8th Monitoring Report with data from forest patrols Argyriou, Dimitrios; Bori, Péter József; Theilade, Ida Publication date: 2020 Document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Citation for published version (APA): Argyriou, D., Bori, P. J., & Theilade, I. (2020). The status of Prey Lang: 8th Monitoring Report with data from forest patrols. Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN). Download date: 23. sep.. 2021 the status of PREY LANG 8th Monitoring Report with data from forest patrols • PLCN REPORTS OF ILLEGAL LOGGING HAVE INCREASED particularly around the Think Biotech sawmill • MOST LOGGED TIMBER SPECIES ARE ENDANGERED according to the IUCN Red List; many are valuable for community subsistence • While the latest government crackdown on illegal logging is welcome, PLCN URGES GREATER GOVERNMENT ACTION AGAINST COMPANIES OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN AND AROUND PREY LANG On behalf of Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN): Argyriou D.1, Bori P.1, Theilade I.1 1 University of Copenhagen This measurement does not differentiate between permanent land cover change (deforestation) or temporary loss (in which forests will recover), nor between natural or human causes of loss. In addition, because optical satellite data collection can often be obscured by cloud cover in the humid tropics, some late-in-the-year loss may be picked up in the next year following persistent cloud cover. Global Forest Watch (GFW) therefore recommends using a three-year moving average to assess totals and trends in the tree cover loss data (shown in Fig 1). The total amount of forest loss between 2001 to 2018 was 41,758 ha or almost 10% of the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2001, communities living in and around Prey Lang began to advocate protecting their ancestral forest lands from large-scale illegal logging and land grabbing, which was destroying local communities’ access to natural resources. Today, PLCN is a well-organised group of communities working to protect Prey Lang in collaboration with other stakeholders. PLCN conducts regular forest patrols to collect data on forest resources, illegal activities and climate change using a specially designed smartphone application known as the Prey Lang app. The data are analysed in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen and the results published in reports, press releases and on social media. PLCN’s innovative approach to environmental justice continues to attract international attention and the network has been awarded four international prizes, most lately the Energy Globe Award 2019. 2 Hansen, M. C., P. V. Potapov, R. Moore, M. Hancher, S. A. Turubanova, A. Tyukavina, D. Thau, S. V. Stehman, S. J. Goetz, T. R. Loveland, A. Kommareddy, A. Egorov, L. Chini, C. O. Justice, and J. R. G. Townshend. 2013. “High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change.” Science 342 (15 November): 850–53. Data available on-line from: https://earthenginepartners.appspot.com/science-2013-glob- al-forest/download_v1.6.html . Forest loss for 2018 in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary calculated with Google Earth engine. 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 Forest loss (ha) 2000 0 Annual forest loss in PL Average (3 years) Average 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 1 Forest loss Figure 1: Forest loss in Prey Lang, 2001 - 2018 INTRODUCTION Brown bars show annual forest loss. Red line shows average forest loss over past three years. 1 Image 1: PLCN members take a rest during patrol. The Prey Lang Forest is located in systems and helps mitigate climate the central plains of Cambodia, just change. Due to its national importance, MEET THE ability to coordinate and collaborate west of the Mekong River. It covers Prey Lang was designated a Wildlife PATROLLERS within the network and with external approximately 500,000 hectares (ha) Sanctuary in 2016, covering 431,683 ha. partners, associations and networks. and spans four provinces: Kratie, Stung The Cambodian government has issued Mr. SVAY Sung was born in 1957. He Sung has gained respect from com- Treng, Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear. a ban on all timber exports. is Kuy and lives in Ta Ngeun village, munities and external stakeholders The forest supports seven distinct According to the University of Maryland2, Vattanak commune, Sambou district, alike for his skills, persistency and forest ecosystems, including swamp forest loss for the Prey Lang Wildlife Kratie province together with his wife hard work in protecting the forest. In forests, evergreen, semi-evergreen and Sanctuary was 4,563 ha. in 2018. (Fig. 1). and six children. His family relies on 2015, Sung was elected as one of 28 deciduous forests. Numerous rare and This is equivalent to an average of 13 farming, mainly rice, and harvesting PLCN core group members and is a of Non-Timber Forest Products. Sung threatened plant and animal species ha of forest destroyed every day or 18 respected elder working to coordinate became an active member of PLCN in are found in the area. Prey Lang is football fields the size of Phnom Penh and consolidate the network. Sung is a 2000. He has devoted his life to pro- very active member of PLCN involved also a major watershed that feeds Olympic stadium (0.705 ha) cut down tecting the forest and is pro-active in the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap per day. The University of Maryland in advocacy activities, campaigns, pa- mobilising communities to protect trols, networking and strengthening 8TH PLCN REPORT 8TH PLCN Lake, both of which are crucial to the annual tree cover loss dataset measures REPORT 8TH PLCN Prey Lang as he believes it forms an in- the membership base. fisheries of local households and to the the completeness of tree cover canopy trinsic part of Kuy culture and spiritual 2 national economy and food security. in 30x30 meter pixels. life. In 2009, Sung became an active Image 1.1: Mr. Svay Sung, 3 1.1 Prey Lang also regulates local weather member in his commune due to his PLCN core group member WHAT’S NEW SINCE LAST MONITORING Government REPORT crackdown PLCN WINS THE ENERGY GLOBAL on illegal logging NATIONAL AWARD FOR CAMBODIA A collection of articles across the national and PLCN received the National Energy Globe Award 2019 for their innovative international media suggest that, in recent environmental protection efforts in Cambodia. The Energy Globe Award was months, there has been a general increase in the established 20 years ago, and its aim is “to present successful sustainable Cambodian government’s attention towards projects to a global audience and to demonstrate that for many illegal logging and forest crimes. In January 2019, environmental problems feasible solutions already exist”. The international the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries set Energy Globe Award is known as “Nature’s Nobel Prize” and one of the most up a permanent secretariat (the National Permanent prestigious environmental prizes worldwide, with winners selected by a Secretariat for the Prevention and Interception jury made up of members from the UN Industrial Development Organisation, of Logging, Transporting, Collecting, Storing and the World Bank and the European Renewable Energy Council. Exporting of Rosewood), tasked with intercepting illegal timber, with a special focus on rosewood. Recent months also saw arrests of government officials charged with corruption and Chinese Deforestation, a driver traders found guilty of forceful intimidation using weapons. The Committee for Forest Crime of Climate change Prevention has furthermore announced new strict measures and the immediate destruction of seized After the heatwave that baked responsible for 15 percent of all water tools used by illegal foresters. Southeast Asia and Cambodia during vapor in the atmosphere. Fewer trees Civil society actors have, however, commented that March and April, more members means less water vapor, which setting up new institutions, similar to the previously of the public connected extreme makes it harder for clouds to form. created Committee for Forest Crime Prevention, weather events with climate In turn, this leads to less precipitation is not an effective solution to combatting forest change, according to a recent article and higher temperatures. A recent crimes due to corruption and timber traders’ close from Mongabay3. Public criticism study4 explored the relationship connections with government officials. Activists have connecting deforestation to the between deforestation and increased furthermore called upon the government to expand higher temperatures was rejected temperatures and found that their crackdown from individuals to companies, by Neth Pheaktra, a Ministry of changing forest cover is a key driver who often operate illegally and harvest and process Environment spokesperson. Scientists of local climate change worldwide. protected and threatened tree species. have, however, repeatedly shown Moreover, global deforestation that deforestation contributes to leads to a consistent warming of climate change through increased the tropical and temperate regions, CO2 emissions and reduced while higher deforestation rates, as “[...]activists have sequestration, as well as through in Cambodia, were found to create potential changes in water cycles. even more intense warming. Despite Forests absorb much of the sunlight the logging moratorium, log export furthermore called that hits them. Non-forested areas, ban and crackdowns on illegal including concrete-heavy urban or timber trade from the government, upon the government to industrial areas that often replace Cambodia still has one of the highest forests in developing nations, reflect deforestation rates in the world. expand their crackdown sunlight, creating more heat at the ground level. Meanwhile, evaporating water from photosynthesis is from individuals to 3 https://news.mongabay.com/2019/06/as-cambodia-swelters-climate-change-suspicion-falls-on-de- companies[...]”. forestation/?n3wsletter&utm_source=Mongabay+Newsletter&utm_campaign=381730ab6a-Newslet- ter_2019_06_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_940652e1f4-381730ab6a-67238715 8TH PLCN REPORT 8TH PLCN 4 Prevedello, J. A., Winck, G.