This working paper presents the findings of research undertaken on
\nland use and land cover (LULC) change in Cambodia, with a focus on water
\nresource development and local livelihoods in Stung Chrey Bak catchment,
\nKompong Chhnang province. The research aims to provide improved information of
\nLULC to researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders and was undertaken
\nas one of three research components of the Water Resource Management and
\nResearch Capacity Development Programme (WRMRCDP). This study investigates the interaction between water resources,
\nLULC, and local livelihoods over two decades within an agricultural catchment
\nin the upper and middle sections of Stung Chrey Bak (a tributary of the Tonle
\nSap) catchment. The time period examined was 1989 to 2008. Research focused on
\ntwo aspects: i) investigation of the physical characteristics of land cover
\nchanges using satellite image classifications; and, ii) interviews and field observations
\nat the local level and qualitative analysis of on the ground changes. Changes
\nin land cover were quantified using satellite remote sensing imagery; however,
\ndrivers of changes in land use, including land conversion, were harder to
\nmeasure through quantitative analysis. The qualitative research aimed not only
\nat understanding changes on the ground, but also the possible reasons or
\ndrivers behind such change. By combining qualitative and quantitative research
\na more comprehensive understanding of change at different spatial locations and
\nacross multi-temporal periods was gained. The results of this research indicate that LULC across the study
\nsite has changed considerably over the last two decades. The three satellite
\nimage classifications in 1989, 2003 and 2008 suggest that LULC has changed
\nacross the majority of the catchment. Fragmentation and a decline in the
\nquality of evergreen forest has occurred in the upstream part of the catchment,
\nthough some areas of evergreen forest have been retained in areas which
\ncorrespond closely with the boundary of the Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary. The
\nfield interviews revealed that both quality and quantity of the evergreen
\nforest had declined over the study period within most of the Chrey Bak
\ncatchment. Findings also showed a steady decline of remaining secondary forest
\nin the midstream and some upstream areas. Such disturbance is a result of forest
\nencroachment and illegal logging by local people and outsiders1, charcoal
\nproduction, and commercial agriculture (large scale plantations). The
\nimplications of such disturbances must be taken into consideration if
\nsustainable catchment management objectives across the catchment are to be
\nachieved. Various players have contributed to LULC change across the
\ncatchment. Poorly conceived water resource development and agricultural
\nexpansion during the Khmer Rouge (KR) period from 1975 to 1979 influenced the
\npatterns of land use and land cover seen today2. The KR, which occupied some
\nareas in the study site until the 1990s, contributed to rapid forest clearing, including
\nthe removal of high value timber, particularly in the upstream catchment. Institutional and organisational changes, including the adoption
\nof the Land Laws in 1992 and 2001, and the Laws on Forestry in 2002 and 2005,
\nhave also shaped current land use practices and attitudes towards land and
\nforests. For example, the 1992 Land Law allowed people who cultivated a
\nspecific plot for five years or longer to claim ownership of that land. 1 It
\nwas unclear who this refers to but may include external operators from as far
\nafield as Phnom Penh. 2 Imagery for the period prior to 1975 showing forest
\ncover and land use was not available at the time of this research. Such
\nclaims commonly led to conversion of land from secondary forest to rice fields,
\nthe results of which are still evident across the catchment today. In addition,
\nthe 2002 Law on Forestry has provided improved security to local communities
\nthroughout Cambodia by allowing the government to confiscate land that has
\notherwise been claimed illegally through land grabbing. Other factors that have
\ninfluenced LULC change in the catchment include land grabbing, charcoal
\nproduction, illegal logging and economic land concessions. Even as irrigation system development played a minor role in
\nagricultural land expansion, the expansion of irrigated land for rice
\nproduction and other more water intensive agriculture poses a threat to
\nhydrological processes within the catchment, in particular the availability of water
\nresources. The irrigation system is constrained by water availability, but
\nirrigation demand is growing with the potential to create increased competition
\nfor water between upstream and downstream users. Concerns over increased
\ncompetition for water were a key issue raised in the interviews for this
\nresearch. Changes to land use and land cover have the potential to impact on
\nwater availability and quality, limiting the opportunities for more sustainable
\ncatchment management. The key messages of this research are that: \u00b7
\nEffective methods to assess land use and land cover change in
\nCambodia are needed to ensure that suitable data is available for sustainable catchment
\nmanagement and monitoring. \u00b7
\n Land use and land cover
\nchange assessment and monitoring need to involve technically sophisticated
\nquantitative methods such as remote sensing; however, these methods alone do
\nnot provide a comprehensive tool for measuring land cover change. \u00b7
\nA combination of quantitative methods such as remote sensing and
\nqualitative methods such as interviews is essential to provide a complete
\npicture of land use and land cover change in Cambodia. Key
\nactions that the Cambodian government can take to improve land use and land
\ncover data are:\u00b7
\nEncourage and invest in the integration of high quality technical
\nquantitative and qualitative approaches using local knowledge and ground
\ntruthing to avoid over simplification and to understand local nuances and
\nspecificity. Attention should be paid to strengthening local expertise in LCLU
\nchange analysis and ensuring quality data. <\/p>\n
\u00b7
\nDraw upon the Royal University Phnom Penh (RUPP) and CDRI for the
\ncapacities that these institutions have built through this project by using the
\nmixed methods approach to advance knowledge and understanding of LULC change in
\nCambodia. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This working paper presents the findings of research undertaken on land use and land cover (LULC) change in Cambodia, with a focus on water resource development and local livelihoods in Stung Chrey Bak catchment, Kompong Chhnang province. The research aims to provide improved information of LULC to researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders and was undertaken as one of three research components of the Water Resource Management and Research Capacity Development Programme (WRMRCDP). This study investigates the interaction between water […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33117","publications","type-publications","status-publish","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n