Equip Cambodians with Tech to Protect Their Forest

On behalf of the PLCN, thank you for donating to support their efforts to protect Prey Lang. When they receive sufficient funds, they will purchase and train more members to collect data in Prey Lang as some of the members are already doing. 

When the PLCN goes on patrols, they carry smartphones and GPS devices to document what they find. 

Their app has several categories that they use to collect data in the forest. These include:

• “Activities” (e.g., illegal logging, hunting or fishing),
• “Resources” (e.g., cultural sites or natural resources like resin trees, medicinal plants, spirit forests, etc) and;
• “Reporting” (i.e., interactions with the authorities such as reporting of illegal activities or  confiscated equipment).

Recently, two new categories were added:

• “Climate change,” (i.e., changing levels of lakes and rivers, extreme weather conditions, and also “climate adaptation” initiatives by villagers in the Prey Lang area) and;
• “Security” (e.g., threats, intimidation, or violence towards them). 

The data collected by PLCN is uploaded to a cloud and analyzed by a team of researchers at the University of Copenhagen. Check the bottom of this report for a link to their latest report.

The following accounts of forest patrols were written by PLCN Huoen Sopheap, a member who has been documenting forest crimes for many years now:

“We went on a patrol from 17-19 October 2019. We didn’t hear any sounds of chainsaws this time. But we saw many trees had fallen down. We cooperated with the Sandan district police to confiscate one knife and chainsaw, which we turned over to the district forest rangers to dispose of according to the law.”

"On the 24-26th of September 2019, members of the PLCN went on a 3-night patrol with forest rangers. According to one member of the PLCN, they found two chainsaws near Ou Anlong Veng and Ou Chanou. They found many planks of cheuteal (Dipterocarpus alatus) and choah (resin) trees that illegal loggers had transported out of Prey Lang and stashed on the CRCK rubber plantation land. The patrol team confiscated the timber and gave it to the district officials."

“This is a real problem for the forest. Those of us who protect it are few but those who destroy it are many. I hope that we can continue in our efforts.”

Links:

• The 7th Prey Lang Monitoring Report
• PLCN Official Site