Background
The Sustainable Landscapes and Ecotourism project known by the acronym CSLEP focuses on integrating natural-resource management with tourism-oriented infrastructure to support community livelihoods in protected landscapes. CSLEP supports natural-resource management and community livelihoods in protected areas.
The Ministry of Environment and the World Bank are deepening cooperation to add green-tourism infrastructure and technical support under CSLEP; this cooperation includes plans to develop about 10 km of road connecting Phnom Khnang Phsar to the Cheypat area in Thma Bang district, Koh Kong province. The World Bank has committed technical and financial support to Cambodia for environmental management, plastic-pollution reduction, and climate-change response.
Key Developments
On 7 October 2026, Minister Dr. Eang Sophal received Ms. Tania Meyer, World Bank Country Director for Cambodia, and Mr. Jean-Dominique Bescond, Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist and CSLEP team lead, for discussions on joint work under CSLEP. Participants reviewed progress and agreed to promote CSLEP activities that link conservation with green-tourism development in the Samrae landscape and the Kranvah mountain range area.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Environment is leading planning for the proposed green-tourism routes and coordinating technical teams involved with CSLEP implementation. The World Bank is providing ongoing technical and financial assistance to support the Ministry’s conservation priorities, including measures to reduce plastic pollution and strengthen climate response capacity.
Operational Implications
Project partners described the road link and related tourism route studies as means to enable visitor access, encourage ecotourism activities, and raise local incomes while maintaining protected-area objectives. Project materials indicate CSLEP activities aim to combine infrastructure improvements with community livelihood support to build sustainable local economic opportunities and strengthen forest and biodiversity protection.
Official Source
Ministry of Environment post on Facebook, 7 October 2026: https://www.facebook.com/MinistryOfEnvironmentCambodia/posts/pfbid02yPbj86pc7QXkJAetgwZWr3pP2zJGJTbNtP7rQRi6djuHa86D5WrjnyiyGWtqtNSHl
