To us, Environmental Education & Waste Management means demonstrating how livelihoods link to sustainability, forming values to enable communities to understand their environment, reduce exploitation and manage their natural resources responsibly, at a time of climatic uncertainty and as a health benefit.
The indigenous Phnong people of Mondulkiri have lived for centuries in virgin rainforest packed with biodiversity and endangered species. Relying on forest products and slash and burn farming there has always been a natural abundance. Recently market pressures have incentivised deforestation and increased hunting on one hand, and on the other strictly-enforced conservation laws do not even allow traditional livelihood practices. We introduce real alternatives in agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry and tourism to ensure the Phnong and the forest nurture and support each other.
In the highly-naturally resource dependent Mekong and Prey Lang communities, we support the conservation of dolphins, soft-shell turtles and giant stingrays by reducing the amount of time people spend fishing and educating against the use of indiscriminate fishing methods such as explosives, poison and gillnets. We train community members to become wardens for the environment, to protect wildlife to ensure a future income through tourism, and to protect fishery and forest resources for their children and grandchildren’s generation.
We only work in areas of high biodiversity and vulnerable ecosystems, offering livelihood choices to those populations in danger of irreversibly harming important conservation areas just by feeding their families.
