Forest and Agricultural Landscape Restoration in Cambodia and the Philippines

Participatory Field Survey in community forests in Cambodia

In the headlands of Cambodia’s Stung Sangker river basin, local farmers watch as one of Cambodia’s leading forest restoration specialists demonstrates planting techniques to reintroduce native tree species into the basin’s degraded forest land. A few weeks later, in an upstream site in the Manupali watershed in the Philippines, a professor from the University of the Philippines takes community members, farmers and local government officials through the latest iteration of their plan to restore forest to the bare landscape around them.

As in many parts of Southeast Asia, watersheds in Cambodia and the Philippines have lost swathes of forest land to monoculture and intensive agriculture practices. The rapid economic growth of both countries, and agricultural expansion have led to extensive land degradation, illegal logging and timber extraction. Without tree cover and vegetation to lock in moisture, rainfall washes topsoils into the lakes and rivers below, playing havoc with freshwater ecosystems and downstream hydrology. The loss of native tree species is disastrous for biodiversity, something – we are coming to understand – that will present long-term challenges at both the local and global levels. Over the last 8 months, the demonstrations took place in two of over a dozen expert missions planned for nine demonstration sites across the two watersheds. At each site ICEM’s teams of international and national experts have worked with local communities and officials to assess degraded landscapes and develop plans to bring them back to life, in the process demonstrating to governments and local communities opportunities to generate income as well as techniques to implement nature-based solutions to ensure landscapes continue to function effectively over time. Due to complete at the end of 2023, the TA-6539 REG: Investing in Climate Change Adaptation through Agroecological Landscape Restoration operates at three spatial levels:

• Demonstration sites of only a few hectares showcase practical techniques and principles to restore degraded land and support communities.
• At the watershed level, the project utilizes a broad set of analytical approaches and technologies to help develop watershed management strategies to restore essential functions and plan for the impacts of climate change.
• At the national level, the project is working with central government in both the Philippines and Cambodia to build capacity through workshops, training and web-based planning tools, as well as the production of tailored guidance to help government practitioners roll out the approaches modelled in the demonstration sites across both countries.

Only time will tell for sure, but the enthusiasm of the participant communities suggests that the restoration of natural forests can be a big part of the solution for low-income communities and fragile ecosystems. Funded by ADB, The Investing in Climate Adaptation through Agroecological Landscape Restoration (TA REG 6539) is a joint venture between the World Agroforestry and ICEM. It is being implemented in Cambodia and the Philippines, focusing on forest restoration, agroforestry, and agroecology as critical strategies for climate change adaptation.