Background
Community Protected Areas (CPAs) operate as local natural‑resource management units where community members take part in forest and wildlife stewardship under the oversight of the Ministry of Environment and its community livelihoods structures. Community participation in CPAs is a governance mechanism used to combine resource protection with local livelihoods and to implement priorities of the national environment‑sector strategy.
As of 2026, 194 community protected‑area communities cover a combined area of 332,174 hectares and list 73,237 member households. The Department of Community Livelihoods, within the Ministry of Environment’s community directorate, reported that community households recorded approximately $700,000 in income from non‑timber forest product collection in 2025.
Key Developments
The Ministry reported that in early 2026, 53 community protected areas were identified as having ecotourism potential. During the first five months of 2026, 38 of these communities received 342,025 domestic visitors and 6,065 international visitors; communities reported more than $300,000 in direct ticket‑sale revenue and about 4,400 direct jobs created from visitor activity. Separately, seven communities in Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu and Koh Kong are conserving bamboo ecosystems and reported combined income of about $12,500 from those activities.
Institutional Role
The Department of Community Livelihoods within the General Directorate of Community coordinates community participation, income reporting and local natural‑resource activities for the Ministry of Environment. The ministry implements elements of the national environment‑sector strategy (priority component labelled “Green”) that emphasize strengthened law enforcement and stakeholder engagement as mechanisms to protect natural resources, expand forest cover, and support community livelihoods.
Market Impact
Ministry figures show community resource management produces measurable economic outputs for local households through non‑timber forest products and visitor fees. Reported community activities in 2025–2026 included resin and mushroom collection, honey production, and other non‑timber products alongside ecotourism services; communities also reported income generation and job creation tied directly to those activities. Community tree‑planting efforts recorded more than 235,000 seedlings planted across 7,584 hectares as part of local green campaigns.
