Publisher :
Place of publication :
Publication year : 1997
Thematic : Mangroves
Language : English
Note
This report presents an economic analysis of the different uses of the mangrove
resource of Koh Kong province, Cambodia. The objective of the study is to provide
information on the economic benefits and operational practices of key activities in the area
that might be employed in the identification of an economically optimal management
strategy for the mangrove resource. A parallel objective of the study has been to train a
team of Cambodians in survey techniques, data collection and analysis, and ultimately on
the economic appraisal of natural resource use.
Mangrove ecosystems are valuable, both in terms of their direct use and indirect
use values. Direct use values are the products and uses derived directly from the
mangrove (e.g., fuelwood, food, construction materials, and use of the area as a site for
human settlement). Indirect use values are the ecological services provided by mangroves
which support indirectly economic activities. Ecologically, mangroves act as a natural
barrier to shoreline erosion, reduce the effects of storm surges and flooding, maintain
water quality, and support a wide range of wildlife. All of these ecological functions
indirectly support economic activities and therefore are of value.
Perhaps the most well-known ecological service provided by mangroves is the
support they provide to local and commercial fisheries. Mangroves act as nurseries and
shelters for many species of commercially important finfish and crustaceans.
The mangrove areas in Koh Kong province cover an area of 63,700 hectares and
have been described as ecologically and economically significant to Cambodia and all
other countries situated around the Gulf of Thailand. Furthermore, this environment is the
only site in all of continental Southeast Asia considered appropriate for the establishment
of a coastal biosphere reserve. The mangrove forests and related environments of Koh
Kong are therefore of vital international importance for nature conservation.
Most of the mangrove areas in Cambodia have been designated within the
protected areas system, such as Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary. Koh Kapik and
associate islets situated within Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary, have been nominated as
a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. However,
management plans for these areas are yet to be developed.
As for other mangrove areas in Cambodia, the mangroves of Koh Kong, which
currently support a number of households, are threatened largely by the clearing of
mangroves for intensive shrimp farms, and for commercial and domestic charcoal
production. Charcoal production, which is illegal, has recently been stopped by the
provincial government, leaving a number of families unable to support themselves, even
through fishing due to declines in fish productivity. No other viable employment alternatives
for local people have been identified.
Go to source
Keywords : Brazil
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
