KEO SEIMA WILDLIFE
SANCTUARY REDD+ PROJECT

 

Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS) protects one of the most important forests in Cambodia, home to critically endangered primates like the black-shanked douc, the iconic Asian elephant, as well as being the ancestral and contemporary home of the indigenous Bunong.

 

 

 

Featured Keo Seima Carbon Credit Buyers

       

 

 

   
         

Working Together to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

 

A Project of Global Significance

The KSWS REDD+ project is one of the largest carbon emission reduction program in Cambodia’s land use sector and has played a critical role in demonstrating REDD+ successes conserving high biodiversity value landscapes. Experiences from the implementation of the KSWS REDD+ project is also providing important learning outcomes informing the design of Cambodia’s National REDD+ Program, as part of the country’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions under the Paris Climate Agreement.

 

About the Project Area

  • 17.4 million tons of CO2-e emissions avoided over the next 10 years.

    This is equivalent to annual emissions from:

    • 4 million passenger vehicles 
    • 2 million homes
    • Approximately 4 coal fired power plants
  • 167,000 hectares of protected dense forest and a 297,000 hectare buffer zone
  • 13,000 peoples live in Keo Seima across 20 villages
  • Ancestral lands to the Bunong peoples
  • Critical habitat to the endangered Black-Shanked Douc and Yellow-Cheeked Crested Gibbon
  • Home to 130 Asian Elephants, one of the largest remaining populations in the Lower Mekong

 

© WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
Photo Credit: © WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY



Major Threats to KSWS

LAND GRABBING

LAND GRABBING

Illegal land clearing by smallholder farmers is the leading cause of deforestation in KSWS where crops such as cassava and cashews are sold across the border in Vietnam.

ILLEGAL HUNTING

ILLEGAL HUNTING

Although hunting endangered species in Cambodia is illegal, domestic and international bush meat and traditional medicine markets drive extensive poaching.

ILLEGAL LOGGING

ILLEGAL LOGGING

Cambodia’s legacy of large scale mechanized logging and supporting road networks, dating back to the 1960s, continue to give illegal operators access to luxury grade tree species in KSWS.

© WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
Photo Credit: © WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY


Addressing the Key Drivers of Biodiversity Loss with Carbon Revenues

CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE

CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE

Protected area management, enforcement, and monitoring using interdisciplinary tools and technologies to generate actionable data informing WCS management approaches in the park.

ACCESSING LAND RIGHTS

ACCESSING LAND RIGHTS

Formalizing land and resource use rights for local communities and improving legal protection for local community lands in the Keo Seima project area through improved community led land use planning and development

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Diversifying income streams for local communities through the development of ecotourism, premium markets, and non-timber forest products.

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Photo Credit: .

Revenues from Carbon are Helping Achieve Important Outcomes in the Field

  • 25,000 hectares of deforestation avoided since 2010
  • 11.5 million tons of avoided GHG emissions since 2010
  • Preserved cultural identity and natural resources for over 2,500 households
  • 449 jobs created through the project (law enforcement and community agents)
  • 782 children engaged in education programs 
  • 7 villages have now secured legally recognized communal land titles
  • Established the Jahoo Gibbon Ecotourism Camp

Stand for Wildlife

© 2023 Wildlife Conservation Society | Photo Credits: © Filip Agoo and Everland

WCS, the "W" logo, WE STAND FOR WILDLIFE, I STAND FOR WILDLIFE, and STAND FOR WILDLIFE are service marks of Wildlife Conservation Society.

Contact Information
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