Communities

Local communities are by necessity a vital component of forest and wildlife preservation. In Cambodia, families often struggle to obtain even their most basic needs. With more than 67 percent of the population employed in agriculture, mostly for subsistence, farmers are often forced into poaching, slash-and-burn agriculture, or illegal logging to get by.

Illegal wildlife parts for sale at marketThe international illegal wildlife trade is valued between $5 and $20 billion annually. It can be a lucrative market for families struggling to survive but it also contributes to the extinction of 30,000 species a year, or 3 species every hour. Wildlife Alliance recognizes that poverty is the root cause driving both the wildlife trade and deforestation in the developing world.

In order to reverse this cycle of poverty Wildlife Alliance works directly with communities to create sustainable, alternative sources of income. Our community-based agriculture program helps communities develop businesses through land ownership, training in modern-practice farming and marketing, and irrigation projects.

Women, proven to invest extra income in the health and education of their families, are empowered through jobs in our reforestation projects. Farmers are able to boost their income and therefore stop participating in the harmful environmental practices that they were once driven to out of necessity.

Farmers at Trapeang RungPartnering with the communities of Chi Phat and Trapeang Rung, Wildlife Alliance is developing an ecotourism infrastructure that provides jobs to local people who operate guesthouses, home-stays, and restaurants and also provide guided tours to visitors from around the world.  By witnessing the benefits derived from ecotourism, community members are provided long-term incentives to protect the surrounding forests.