Coordination mechanism and participation

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Phnom Kulen National Park plays a vital role in providing water to the entire Siem Reap watershed. It attracts rain for a longer period than the low-lands of Cambodia during the rainy season.

The generation is a key factor for sustainable development and the conservation of ecosystems. The income generated from ecosystem services in Siem Reap, from Phnom Kulen National Park, must be in the form of a Protected Area Trust Fund, which represents a long-term secure source of funding for environmental and natural resource-based activities.

With regard to the identification of possible funding mechanisms (Table 9), we prioritize two options for payment mechanisms that can be feasibly implemented. Although others are of interest and would benefit from further discussion, the two following are foreseen important and need to be implemented at the initial stage:

Based on our analysis of the current situation, an annual revenue from Payment for Water Services to a value of US$ 2.9 to US$ 3.9 million can be generated from Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap (Table 9).

According to the striking results found on the exploitation of water ecosystem services, we strongly recommend the application of Payments for Water Services in Siem Reap City to enable the sustainable management and conservation of Phnom Kulen National Park.

To provide the financial recompense to people or management authorities (e.g. via restoration, bottom-up strategy conservation and management) whose lands or activities in the ecosystems providing the provisioning service of water, we proof the potential of the PWS in Siem Reap city as provided in Table 4 above.

At the meantime of applying the PES, conservation actions such as zonation and management plan of the protected area, forest conservation and restoration, and maintenance and restoration of existing reservoirs should be prioritized as well.

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The NCSD is composed of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia as the Honorary Chair, the Minister of Environment as the Chair, a Secretary of State of the Council of Ministers as First Deputy and a Secretary of State for the Environment as the Second Deputy, with the attendance of various secretaries of state of the line ministries, secretary generals of the national committees and the twenty-five cities/provincial governors of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

Vision of the NCSD: “Promoting Sustainable Development aimed at ensuring economic, environmental, social and cultural balance within the Kingdom of Cambodia.”

The NCSD has a mandate of coordination and cooperation with line ministries and institutions to develop and implement policy legislation, strategies and programs and projects related to biodiversity, climate change, the green economy and science and technology for sustainable development.

The NCSD was established by Royal Decree No. NS/RKT/0515/403 on the establishment of the National Council for Sustainable Development of May 9, 2015. It has roles and duties as follows:

• Formulating, directing and evaluating policies, strategic plans, action plans, legal instruments, programs and projects related to sustainable development;

• Promoting the mainstreaming of sustainable development into relevant policies, legal instruments, strategic plans, action plans, programs and projects in collaboration with relevant line ministries and agencies;

• Mobilizing resources for the implementation of policies, legal instruments, strategic plans, action plans, programs and projects related to sustainable development;

• Establishing and fostering partnerships with development partners, the private sector, academia and other relevant stakeholders aimed at supporting sustainable development;

• Encouraging and promoting research study, education, training, exchange of technologies and dissemination relevant to sustainable development;

• Proposing national positions and strategies for participating in international agreements, meetings and negotiations relevant to sustainable development;

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• Reviewing and giving approval on national communications under the multilateral environmental agreements to which Cambodia is a party;

• Managing government information and communications relevant to sustainable development;

• Leading, managing and facilitating the works related to the green economy, climate change, biodiversity conservation and biosafety; and

• Implementing any other duties assigned to it by the Royal Government of Cambodia.

To carry out daily operations, the NCSD has a General Secretariat situated in the the Ministry of Environment. This General Secretariat, known as GSSD, was created by Sub-Decree 59 RNK.BK dated May 18, 2015, on the Establishment and Functioning of the General Secretariat of National Council for Sustainable Development.

The functions and duties of GSSD are, among other things, to coordinate and perform day-to-day work in accordance with instructions and decisions of the NCSD to ensure the achievement of the vision of the NCSD. The detailed roles and duties of GSSD are provided in Article 2 of Sub-Decree 59 RNK.BK. GSSD performs its duties under the leadership of the NCSD’s Executive Committee, which is composed of the Minister of Environment as Chair, the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as First Deputy, the Secretary of State for Environment as Second Deputy and members from other ministries of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

The Biodiversity Department is one of the technical departments of the GSSD, with the mandate to coordinate and perform day-to-day work in accordance with the instructions and decisions of the NCSD to ensure the achievement of the vision of the NCSD on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.

To ensure the full participation of relevant stakeholders, especially from indigenous and local communities, in biodiversity and ecosystem conservation programming, the Royal Government of Cambodia has established 168 Community Protected Areas up to July 2019.

In the North Tonle Sap Region, 77 Community Protected Areas have been established and are functioning (Annex 1).

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