Learning from Local Perceptions for Strategic Road Development in Cambodia’s Protected Forests

Abstract

Road development in tropical forest landscapes is contentious. Local preferences are often subordinated to global economic and environmental concerns. Opportunities to seek solutions based on local context are rare. We examined local perspectives on road development within Cambodia's Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary to explore opportunities for optimizing conservation and development outcomes. We conducted household surveys to document the perceived benefits and risks of road development. We found that in the sanctuary, road rehabilitation may accelerate transitions to intensified agriculture and diversified, off-farm incomes. All households prefer good roads and poorer households prioritize road development over other village infrastructure. Households perceive the most prominent benefit of roads to be access to hospital. Local government authorities are responsible for controlling land use and conversion within village boundaries and are therefore highly influential in determining the social and environmental outcomes of roads. Strategies to mitigate environmental risks of roads without constraining development benefits must focus on improving local capacity for decision-making and transparency. Local institutions in tropical forest landscapes must have greater control over development benefits if they are to reinvest assets to achieve conservation success.

Rapidly Accelerating Deforestation in Cambodia’s Mekong River Basin: A Comparative Analysis of Spatial Patterns and Drivers

“…Protected areas and community forests have been suggested as potential forest conservation strategies; however, establishing these areas without enforcement can result in forest loss from illegal logging and illegal settlement and has been noted to be a major problem in Cambodia [29]. Lack of effective enforcement and challenges caused by illegal activities led to the downgrading and loss of 120 protected areas totaling 5915 km 2 [71].…”

Actor‐network analysis of community‐based organisations in health pandemics: evidence from the COVID‐19 response in Freetown, Sierra Leone

“…Nonetheless, CBO-driven actor-networks are crucial for maintaining cooperation and cohesion within communities and managing networks at the community level. What is more, addressing challenges in actor relationships might require understanding of the factors that produce these tensions and how to create new channels for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and influence (Callon, 1986;Latour, 2005;Venturini, 2010;Riggs et al, 2020). This reinforces, therefore, the need for CBOs to participate in government decision-making processes that are aimed at tackling health disasters such as coronavirus and to integrate their response strategies and activities into the overall response to COVID-19 in Sierra Leone.…”

Examining Trajectories of Change for Prosperous Forest Landscapes in Cambodia

“…Portions of PAs that have not received NGO support and investment are already lost to settlement and are emerging as flourishing rural towns. Remote villages desire better infrastructure and access, and despite recognition of natural values, accept that settlements may replace forests in the future (Riggs et al, 2020). As populations grow, economic activity and migration to these landscapes is likely to continue, intensifying the rate at which forest is converted to other land use.…”

“…As such, members identified several events and changes that have had a positive impact on the villages (Figure II). Expanding land-holdings, logging, roads, and cash crop production brought wealth to households, creating development opportunities (Riggs et al, 2020). Participants frequently noted the importance of 'outsiders' or external agents in facilitating these opportunities, particularly the role of middlemen and migrants opening shops and logging.…”