Project Lomphat

Forest conservation

Forest conservation and biodiversity protection in Cambodia

The Lomphat REDD+ project protects 130,000 hectares of government forest from land encroachment, agricultural conversion, illegal logging, and wildlife poaching in the Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary. Located in a biodiversity hotspot and recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area, the sanctuary holds exceptional ecological value with focused conservation efforts on flagship species including Giant Ibis, White Shouldered Ibis, Red-headed Vulture, and Eld's Deer and their critical habitats. The project combines regular ranger patrols and comprehensive boundary demarcation with a Sustainable Livelihoods Program that supports sustainable rice production (Ibis Rice) in 10 Community protected areas. Over the next 40 years, more than 8.8 million tCO2eq emissions are expected to be avoided from being released into the atmosphere, while 20 permanent jobs will be created and community benefits sustained through comprehensive livelihood improvement initiatives.

Activities

Forest conservation: Regular ranger patrols and comprehensive boundary demarcation to prevent land encroachment and illegal activities

Biodiversity monitoring: Systematic monitoring of flagship species including Giant Ibis, White Shouldered Ibis, Red-headed Vulture, and Eld's Deer

Sustainable agriculture: Support for sustainable rice production (Ibis Rice) in 4 villages 10 community protected areas, creating economic alternatives to forest exploitation

Education support: Annual distribution of 20 scholarships to invest in local communities' future

Livelihood improvement: Comprehensive Sustainable Livelihoods Program addressing community needs while reducing forest pressure

Impact & evolution

130,000
hectares

8,800,000
CO2e emissions avoided over 40 years

43
IUCN-threatened protected species

Standards

Further information

technical articles

21st March, 2025

Forest and Foods: Celebrating the International Day of Forests

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: a tool to drive effective conservation actions

Melina Gersberg

Read the article

Start year of operations

2023

First credit issuance

2027

Partnership with

Developed in partnership with Earthshot Labs, the project works closely with local communities and government authorities to ensure effective forest protection and community benefit delivery. The project is on track for registration and certification.