The utilization and institutional management of non-timber forest products in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to understand why non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are not integrated into the development agendas of official institutions. Fieldwork was conducted in September 2015 and March and April 2016 in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, using participatory rural appraisals and structured questionnaire interviews with randomly selected 310 households. The results of the study are reported. In the survey area, eight NTFPs were identified as the most important for the daily life of local people. Many NTFPs were self-sufficiently collected and consumed by the surveyed households. Regarding the institutional management of NTFPs, the local institutions play the greatest role to enhance NTFPs’ sustainable use. The government was not sufficiently involved in the regulation and management of NTFPs. As a result of the examination, the reason for the absence of NTFPs from national policies and strategies is the insufficient information available regarding both their value as subsistence and trading products and their contribution to rural livelihoods.