The story of Koh Kakip commune in Cambodia

One of three Ramsar Sites in Cambodia, situated in Koh Kong province of Cambodia, Koh Kapik is rich in biodiversity resources on which its local people depend for their sustenance. Situated in the Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary (PKWS) in Koh Kong province, Koh Kapik is one of six communes with well organized administrative boundaries. It is located about 30 kilometers in the southwest of the Koh Kong city and comprises three different villages; Koh Kapik I, Koh Kapik II and Koh Sralao.

Koh Kapik I and Koh Kapik II are close to each other on the mainland of the Koh Kapik island and harbors mangrove forests. According to the commune statistics (2011), the total number of households in two villages of Koh Kapik I and Kok Kapik II was 326 with a total population of 1,618 residents. Nearly 90% are artisanal fishers and the rest are civil servants and local sellers.

In early 2012 IUCN carried out an assesment on the capacity and vulnaerabilities of the local people of Kok Kapik and found that they are facing difficulties with boat navigation to the village along the 2,160 meter natural creek during low tide.  This is compounded by shortage of freshwater for year-round consumption and community usage.  Local people’s livelihoods are linked to natural aquatic resources through a natural creek on which they depend entirely in many different ways in both seasons including fishing, businesses, going to school, sending patients to health center and hospital and other means of daily communications.

The livelihoods of local people in this commune is at risk due to the deteriorating conditions (even shallower water level in the creek) of the natural creek caused by soil erosion, accumulation of rotten leaves, sedimentation and mangrove cutting for charcoal production having taken place since 1990. The navigation of boats along the natural creek during the dry season is not a problem because of high tidal period, but it is very difficult during the rainy season to navigate due to low tidal period.

In early 2012, EU-funded Building Coastal Resilience (EU-funded BCR) directly executed by IUCN-Cambodia in cooperation with Department of Environment in Koh Kong is intervening in its first step to conduct a participatory cost-benefit study for the rehabilitation of the creek through budget estimate and the preparation of documents to integrate this strategic plan into commune investment plan for 2013-2014.

Based on the finding, the urgent needs for local people living in Kok Kapik is the rehabilitation of the natural creek which facilitates the boat navigation for their daily livelihood activities and reduce risks local people are facing. This intervention will bring about changes to local community such as livelihood improvement and hazard risk reduction.