World Bank Country Manager Learns from Cambodians
World Bank Country Manager Qimiao Fan made his fourth visit to the Cambodian countryside from May 8 – 11, 2009. He and Bank colleagues went to Kratie, Stung Treng and Ratanakkiri provinces to meet people, provincial officials and civil society groups to learn about progress and challenges, and the potential to help poor people in the north-east have a better life.
Mr Fan’s first stop was in Kratie province where, as well as meeting commune councils, he met poor people who are beneficiaries of Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development (LASED), a project supported by the World Bank and GTZ, and provincial project directors, development partner, and NGOs working on the project. [See accompanying story].
In Stung Treng province, Mr Fan and the team met with the representatives from five local non-government organizations – the Culture and Environment Preservation Association (CEPA), Prom Vihear Thor, Development Partnership in Action (DPA), Oxfam GB and Adhoc – to hear their perspectives on provincial development progress, people’s living conditions, and the challenges people are facing. Mr Fan was told about the continuing delay in recognition of a forestry community whose proposal was submitted several years ago.
Later the team met council members of O’Svay commune, near the border with Laos, to learn about the commune development process.
Commune Chief Man Ly Hor reported that his people depend on agriculture for their livelihood, by growing rice and fishing, and on the area’s natural resources, by collecting products such as natural fibers and wild fruits.
The community is concerned for the sustainable future of the area’s natural resources, and with the support of commune authorities they have submitted a request to establish a community forestry reserve which covers around 4,000 ha. They are waiting approval.
Under the World-Bank-supported project Rural Investment and Local Governance, O’Svay commune receives around $9,000 a year towards commune development. So far, most of the money has been spent on building rural roads. The challenge is to find enough bidders for the projects.
The next day in Ratnakiri province, Mr Fan and the team met Tompuon ethnic minority group who live in La In village to understand their request for communal land titling, which is being facilitated by the DPA.
La In was chosen as one of three pilot areas because it is near a national road and the community has completed its provincial land use plan. The communal land is 7,250 ha for 101 families in four villages. It includes forest, spirit forest, burial grounds, residential land, reserve land, and agricultural land. The process to apply for land titling started in 2004. The community has now completed seven out of the 12 steps, with the rest still under discussion.
One challenge is registering the size of the spirit forest. In the Government sub-decree provides up to seven hectares for spirit forest, whereas La In says it would like to have 37 ha. The spirit forest is important to the community because they believe that every seven years the spirit comes to the forest and blesses them with good luck.
Visit to the Southwest
From June 19 to 22, 2009, Mr. Fan visited southwest provinces of Cambodia –Kampong Speu, Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk.
Mr Fan’s first stop was at the Kirirom I hydropower station. He met with the site manager and engineers to learn about the operation, and visited the power station’s reservoir in the middle of the mountain top. Power from Kirirom I is sold to Electricité du Cambodge, and contributes to Phnom Penh’s power supply, except in the dry season when there is not enough water.
In Koh Kong province, the World Bank group visited the Peam Krosop eco-tourism site. Mr. Fan learned about site management, including the protection of natural resources, environmental awareness and community management of income and expenditures. [See Boeung Kayak ecotourism story.]
Mr. Fan also met with six NGOs representatives and the Project to Support Democratic Development through Decentralization and Deconcentration (PSDD) to listen to their views on progress and the key challenges they face. They see improvements in health and education service deliveries as well as in sustainable rural and environmental development.
However, funding to support those activities is a key challenge. They also said good collaboration with the government both at the provincial and local level is essential.
The next day, Mr. Fan met people representing the community in Tropang Rong commune, Koh Kong province, to learn about their plan to establish an ecotourism site which they believe could generate more income for them and help to manage their natural resources. This community is being helped by the Wildlife Alliance.
To conclude his trip to the Southwest, Mr. Fan joined a signing ceremony in Preah Sihanouk province to open a World Bank Public Information Center-Corner (PIC-Corner), in collaboration with the University of Management and Economics (UME). [See PIC-Corner story]
(Source: The World Bank Newsletter, volume 7, number 6/7, June-July 2009)