The Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project is an initiative designed to promote climate change mitigation
and adaption, maintain biodiversity and create alternative livelihoods under the United Nations scheme
of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). The project encompasses parts
of Southern Cardamom National Park and Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary and will protect a critical part of the
Cardamom Mountains Rainforest Ecoregion, which is one of the 200 most important locations for biodiversity
conservation on the planet.
The project is part of the Indo-Burma hotspot, one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots with a mosaic
of habitats that supports at least 52 species of International Union for Conservation of Nature threatened
birds, mammals and reptiles. The project helps to improve the development and management of community
protected areas, halt illegal logging and deforestation, and is expected to reduce forest emissions by
approximately 3,819,524 tons of carbon emissions per year.
Besides wildlife and biodiversity conservation, the project will also contribute to the sustainable
development of the local community, the host country and the world by means of:
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Improving health care facilities as the proceeds will be used to increase support to health care
workers and improve facilities such as rainwater collection, sanitation etc
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Developing eco-tourism and infrastructure and creating job opportunities
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Creating a scholarship fund for students from any of the 29 communities in the Project zone to
promote accessibility to higher education
The project helps to contribute to the below United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: