Coordination Management Committee Meeting of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve Coordination Mechanism calls for the development of TSBR Strategic Plan

Phnom Penh - On Wednesday, 07 February 2024, H.E. Mom Thany, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environment, in partnership with UNESCO and with the support of the European Union, held the second Coordination Management Committee Meeting of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve (TSBR) Coordination Mechanism.

The meeting brought together over 50 stakeholders from line ministries of the Royal Government of Cambodia, provincial authorities from around the TSBR and development partners to discuss the development of TSBR Strategic Plan 2024-2028.

UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, acknowledged the commitment and leadership of the Royal Government of Cambodia in the conservation of the Tonle Sap Lake, the only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designated in 1997 and enforced by Royal Decree in 2001. "As highly stressed by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, the protection of the lake requires a combined effort from relevant ministries." He further added "The objective of this meeting is to highlight the work of all different line ministries at the TSBR to come up with good practices and scientific solutions for the lake. It is all about coordination and interaction to bring different expertise to work together for the protection of the lake."

Mr. Koen Everaert, Deputy Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Cambodia, acknowledged the richness of biodiversity and unique ecosystem of the TSBR providing habitats for both fauna and flora. He noted the external and internal challenges facing the lake such as overfishing, infrastructure development, deforestation, and climate change etc. "It is important to work together collaboratively to tackle these challenges." He calls for more collaboration among stakeholders to avoid duplication of the work and integrative strategies for the TSBR.

H.E. Mom Thany, Secretary of State of Ministry of Environment noted the pressing challenges facing the TSBR and underscored the importance of a need to develop a TSBR Strategic Plan 2024-2028. "I call all relevant ministries and partners to continue to collaborate with Ministry of Environment to build resilience of ecosystems, biodiversity and local communities, especially the European Union to continue the support on conservation and management of the TSBR particularly promoting alternative livelihoods for the local communities."

The development of TSBR Strategic Plan is a collective outcome from the previous Coordination Management Committee Meeting and TSBR National Partnerships Conference focusing on four thematic areas: biodiversity conservation, hydrology, livelihoods, and governance, which was part of the on-going work of the TSBR Project. This project aims to improve the functions of the TSBR through: i) improved coordination of actors in the TSBR; ii) strengthened conservation at the Boeung Tonle Chhmar and Stung Sen core areas; iii) strengthened coordination for livelihoods; iv) strengthening environmental education and scientific research. In light of improving the protection and management of the TSBR, it is important to have a well-coordinated management framework to ensure that policies and initiatives are streamlined to overarching objective of conserving the lake and its natural resources. To this effect, a High-level TSBR Coordination Mechanism was established by the Ministry of Environment, in partnership with UNESCO, and with the support of the European Union in 2022. The coordination mechanism provides a robust coordination platform to actors working at the TSBR and strengthen the governance through an inclusive, multi-disciplinary approach focused on scientific solutions to promote harmony between people and nature.