Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary REDD+ Project is located in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Cambodia, covering 166,983 hectares of forest within the sanctuary's core protection area. The project aims to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) by protecting the forest from threats such as agricultural expansion and illegal logging. The project area is of significant global importance for biodiversity, hosting 84 globally threatened species, including 13 critically endangered and 26 endangered species. It is home to the world's largest known populations of the black-shanked douc and the southern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, as well as Asian elephants and other rare wildlife. The project provides substantial social and community benefits. It supports the livelihoods of over 20,000 people, including a large number of the indigenous Bunong people, for whom the forest is a vital source of income and central to their culture and spiritual beliefs. Project activities include securing land tenure for indigenous communities, promoting sustainable agriculture through programs like IBIS Rice, and creating alternative income sources through ecotourism and the development of non-timber forest product enterprises. Revenue from carbon credit sales is shared with participating communities, funding community-selected development projects such as clean water systems, school materials, and healthcare services.