Community Empowerment for Sustainable Natural Management, and Securing Forest and Land Tenures.

Abstract

This action research aims to explore community empowerment for sustainable natural management, and securing forest and land tenures for Indigenous People (IP) in Kratie by focusing on: (a) socio-economic characteristics; (b) engagement of IPs in forest management; (c) awareness of forest management; and, (4) local perceptions of community development. Overall, the household survey reveals there was no relationship between negative effects of a decline in forest products and the contribution of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) to livelihoods. In addition, both Kroul people and Khmer people rated their degree of satisfaction to be moderate regarding rights over Collective Land Titling Community (CLT) Community Forestry, capacity building, and supporting mechanisms carried out by key stakeholders including the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), the Ministry of Interior (MoI), and the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC). Moreover, the degree of satisfaction with activities delivered by NGOs was rated as moderate. In relation to climate change and social change, both Khmer people and Kroul people viewed climate change to have a very significant effect on livelihoods due to unexpected droughts, and increases in temperature. The effect of decline in forest products, and water level were also assessed to have a high impact. At the same time, effects of social changes on livelihoods were rated to have a high impact as well, in terms of high prices for food consumption, declines in household incomes, food insecurity, impacts of global crises, and limited access to education for children.