Background
A consultation workshop on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) took place in Mondulkiri province on 3 September 2026, organized by the Ministry of Environment in cooperation with GIZ as part of a SEARCA case study for the Keo Seima protected landscape. Ouy Kamal, Deputy Director General and Deputy Head of the National REDD+ Secretariat and Carbon Credit Affairs, presided over the event, which included provincial officials, provincial environment departments, GIZ, SEARCA, WCS and representatives of local natural-protection communities.
One objective of the workshop was to validate remote-sensing land-cover maps by comparing satellite-derived products with official ministry records and local ground knowledge. The stated aims also included analyzing historical drivers of land-cover change, assessing the effectiveness of governance and policy instruments related to land allocation and community land registration, and extracting community-based management practices to inform policy recommendations aligned with Cambodia’s NDC and regional ASEAN objectives.
Key Developments
The workshop convened provincial leaders and technical agencies to align data and local observations for the SEARCA case study in the Redbook Keo Seima project area of the Keo Seima protected landscape. Confirmed participants named in event materials included:
- Ouy Kamal — Deputy Director General and Deputy Head, National REDD+ Secretariat and Carbon Credit Affairs
- Ngin Soviman — Governor-level representative of the Mondulkiri provincial board
- Hang Chandey — Deputy governor-level representative from Kratie province administration
- Provincial environment departments and provincial administrations
- International and regional partners: GIZ, SEARCA, WCS
- Local community representatives from the Keo Seima natural-protection area
Implications for Land Management
The workshop aimed to produce validated land-cover mapping and a record of locally practiced community management approaches that can be referenced in SEARCA’s case study outputs. Outcomes documenting data validation methods, historical drivers of land-cover change, and governance assessments are intended to inform policy recommendations related to land allocation, community land registration, and Cambodia’s NDC-aligned forestry measures.
