Sustainable Livelihoods for Human Generations and the Planet: Tangyou Community Based Ecotourism

Nestled in the Preah Vihear province of Cambodia, the Tangyou Community Protected Area (CPA) is a small rural community that is known for its rich natural resources. The community has a deep connection to their forest and has relied on it for their livelihoods for generations, alongside subsistence rice farming.

However, over the last few decades, the community has faced challenges in preserving its natural resources due to deforestation, illegal logging, and wildlife poaching from people within the community and also outsiders. Despite these challenges, the community has remained committed to preserving their forest land and way of life, with the support from the local authority, the Ministry of Environment, and different organizations.  

In 2019, Tangyou CPA was officially established with a mission to conserve natural resources within 1,449 hectares of the larger Phnom Tbaeng Natural Heritage Park (PTNHP). Later, with external support, the CPA began to develop its way toward Community-based Ecotourism (CBET).

"At the beginning of our community set-up, we did not have much support from our community members. Some migrated to work in cities; some families were not fond of this conservation idea due to their heavy reliance on deforestation or wildlife poaching for their livelihoods. It was challenging," said Mr Chan Vanno, 59, the CPA Committee Chief.

After its set-up, the CPA has received support from various organizations and individuals, including  the Wildlife Conservation Society Cambodia (WCS Cambodia), especially in enhancing its capacity to maintain a strong commitment and development toward its objectives. In 2022, Tangyou was successfully selected as one of the grantees of UNDP's GEF Small Grants Programme to develop a CBET to improve the livelihoods of the community members and use the revenue from providing ecotourism services to conserve the CPA for future generations.

The grant was small, but it substantially supported the community. The grant enabled the basic infrastructure for ecotourism development, specifically, a 394m long, 1.2m wide  wooden staircase to improve a hiking trail, equipped with solar energy for lighting. The construction timber was sourced from fallen trees and dead wood from within the PTNHP. In addition, the grant supported capacity building on project management, reporting, and forest conservation-related activities, and supported the committee to have monthly and quarterly meetings with its members.

"To be honest, Cambodian tourists who have visited are not very experienced hikers, so the stairs have been very helpful for them. Without the stairs, some parts of the hike are quite dangerous. Therefore, good quality stairs ensure the safety of the hike, and it also allows the community members to reach to the top of the mountain a lot easier than before," said Mrs Thoung Phally, Vice Chair of the CPA Committee.

The Tangyou CPA  embodies nine committee members, three females, and six males, from a wide age range. One of the committee members is Chansoch, a thin-looking guy yet an impressively fast hiker – even in flip-flops! Chansoch is 25 years old; he left school when he was in grade 10.

"My life now is about this Tangyou CPA – the mountain, nature, forest, and wildlife. Sometimes when I accompany the tourists, and we see wildlife, I feel very excited," said Chansoch.

Chansoch shared that since the CPA has been properly established, young people, like himself, find life more meaningful by supporting or being involved in community services. "Moreover, besides earning an income, we feel like our lives are more meaningful; we are not wasting money on something that is not helpful to the community, for instance, alcohol drinking," Chansoch added. He also hopes that more tourists will visit the the area, so his community members do not have to migrate to other places to work for a living.

From 2019 until now, all the families in Sedthakkech Village of Chhean Mukh Commune have registered as members of the CPA. With the community's income along with different funds and support from NGOs, developing partners and the government, specifically the Ministry of Environment, Tangyou now has wooden stairs at difficult hiking paths, trash bins along the trails, a waste incinerator on the mountain, toilets at the camping site, and rest areas. The results have been striking. In 2022, around 1,000 visitors made their way to the mountain top through Tangyou CPA, since the development of the stairs and other amenities, in May 2023 alone, 441 tourists were welcomed to the ecotourism site. Committee Chief Vanno, shared that there are more activities that the community wants to do to help preserve natural resources. However, to continue their efforts, the community and its next generation must uphold their strong commitment and unweaving dedication.

Tangyou CPA commitment to preserving natural resources has led to the cessation of deforestation and wildlife poaching, whilst still allowing access for non-timber products from the mountain, such as honey, specific wild-fruits, and wild-vegetables. The community remains dedicated to preserving natural resources and has plans for further sustainable development. The success of the Tangyou Community serves as an inspiration for other communities to safeguard their natural resources and improve their livelihoods. By embracing sustainable ecotourism, the Tangyou CPA has found a way to preserve their natural resources for future generations while improving their own livelihoods.

Learn more about the GEF Small Grants Programme   

Photos Story of the UN Resident Coordinator in Cambodia, hiked up to Phnom Tbaeng Mountain with Preah Vihear Governer, HE Kim Rithy, Provincial Department of Environment, WCS's Country Director and colleagues and Tangyou CPA Committee representatives.