In Cambodia, a monk fights for the environment

What began as a Buddhist monk’s mission to halt deforestation in his native Cambodia has resulted in the legal protection of 18,261 hectares of evergreen forest. The forested area, located in northwest Cambodia, is now aptly called The Monks’ Community Forest.

In recognition of this achievement, the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Equator Initiative has selected the Venerable Bun Saluth as one of 25 people in the world to receive the 2010 Equator Prize for his work to preserve the forests of Cambodia.

The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations (UN), governments, civil society groups, businesses and grassroots organizations to raise awareness of local efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Bun Saluth’s efforts to save the forest surrounding Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province from illegal logging and land encroachment began as an attempt to teach people the importance of the natural resources on which their livelihoods depend.

When he embarked on his crusade in 2002, Saluth encountered skeptical villagers who thought he wanted to own the forest himself. In time, though, they came to understand that saving the forest was for the benefit of the entire community.

Cambodia’s environment is increasingly at risk due to a number of factors, including rapid development and climate change.

In regard to climate change, Cambodia is one of the most vulnerable countries in Asia. Its agriculture, water supplies, ecosystems and human health are all at particularly high risk.

Thus, a major focus of the UNDP’s work in the country is helping the government to respond to the threat of climate change.

Additionally, a lack of access to modern clean energy in Cambodia's rural areas has induced dependence on wood energy. This dependence has become a major cause of deforestation, thereby exacerbating the already harmful effects of climate change.

“Our forest will continue to be lost if we monks don’t try to preserve it,” says Bun Saluth. “Preserving the forest is very important as it absorbs toxins such as carbon and releases oxygen that we breathe to lead healthy lives.”

Under Bun Saluth’s leadership, six villages now work together to patrol the area, ward off hunters and loggers, and ensure that farmers from the local communities benefit from the forest’s resources. This work is not only about protecting the environment, but also about protecting an important source of livelihood for villagers in the area, who rely on forest products to feed their families. 

Along with other recipients of the Equator Prize, Bun Saluth was honoured at the Equator Prize Award Ceremony in New York on 20 September, 2010. Additionally, The Monks’ Community Forest has been chosen as one of 13 community forest sites for Cambodia’s first carbon credit project under the UN-led Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) programme.

Local residents say their lives would be very difficult without the forest.

Ri, a local villager, says he earns an average of US$130 a month from trading mushrooms and tree resin – a significant income considering one-third of Cambodia’s 13.4 million people still live below the national poverty line of 60 cents a day.

“Villagers, when they run out of rice, can go into the forest to pick mushrooms or wild ginger to sell without having to borrow money from others,” says Ri.