The forests of the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province. 166,983 hectares of the more than 300,000 in the sanctuary are part of a REDD+ project. WCS
The presence of at least ten current and future REDD+ projects places Cambodia among the leading countries in the world for REDD+ implementation. In the near future, Cambodia is set to receive $40 million in funding to support its national REDD+ program.
During a March 26 courtesy meeting with Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth, Salimata D. Follea, World Bank representative in Cambodia, shared that “Cambodia ranks as a global leader in REDD+ project implementation,” according to a March 27 environment ministry statement.
The minister expressed his delight with the achievements of the REDD+ projects and took great pride in the international community's support for Cambodia’s participation in the voluntary carbon market.
The projects have led to major international corporations purchasing carbon credits from Cambodia, generating revenue that is used to conserve forests and improve the livelihoods of local communities.
Additionally, the carbon credits generated are being counted toward Cambodia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to help achieve the country’s vision of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The minister emphasised that Cambodia’s high ranking reflects the government’s strong policies and active efforts in managing natural resources, conserving biodiversity and collaborating with relevant institutions and local authorities, with a particular focus on engaging local communities in REDD+ initiatives.
“Cambodia is set to receive $40 million in funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to support its national REDD+ program,” he said, The funding was announced at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
At least ten REDD+ projects are currently active or in development in Cambodia. They include Keo Seima, the Southern Cardamom Mountains, the Tumring, the Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary REDD+ Project, the Central Cardamom Mountains REDD+ Project, the Phnom Tnout Wildlife Sanctuary REDD+ Project, the Northern Plains Landscape REDD+ Project, the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary REDD+ Project, the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary REDD+ Project and the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary REDD+ Project.
Many of the projects are still in the study and evaluation phase.
The Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary REDD+ Project was implemented in late 2023 and covers an area of over 130,000 hectares. It is administered by the environment ministry, in collaboration with Natural Life Cambodia (NLC).
Bou Vorsak, NLC director, noted that the project is currently undergoing a final independent audit by SCS Global Services. Once the audit is complete, the report will be submitted to the Verra carbon credit agency, an internationally recognised organisation responsible for registering, validating, verifying and issuing carbon credits for international markets.
“If the audit is successful, the verification process will follow, and by 2026, if all goes well, we will issue our first carbon credits,” he said.
The ministry acknowledged that the Kingdom’s REDD+ initiatives have received substantial technical assistance from international organisations. Moving forward, the ministry aims to strengthen the capacity of government officials, as well as community members, to fully manage REDD+ projects.
Furthermore, the ministry is working toward becoming an Accredited Entity to directly access funding from the GCF.
The World Bank and the ministry have previously collaborated on solid waste management projects, natural resource conservation and sustainable development initiatives to support local communities.
