The Cardamom Conundrum: Reconciling Development and Conservation in the Kingdom of Cambodia

Table of Contents

CONTENTS List of Tables vii List of Figures ix Preface xxi Acknowledgements xxvii Chapter 1. Introduction: The Cardamom Conundrum 1 Historical Background 5 Future Scenarios 11 The Cardamom Conundrum as a Global Conundrum 25 Chapter 2. Natural Landscapes 27 Geology 28 Climate and Monsoon 30 Hydrology 33 Terrestrial Ecosystems 36 Freshwater Systems 46 Estuaries and Mangroves 52 Coral Reefs, Sea Grass Beds and Offshore Fisheries 56 Integrating the Management of a Nation’s Natural Assets 63 Chapter 3. Human Landscapes 65 Poverty 67 Health and Education 72 Demographic Growth and Migration 79 Middle Class Khmer 83 Meeting Individual Needs in a Sustainable Paradigm 86 Chapter 4. Institutional Landscapes 88 National Agencies 90 Official Development Assistance 101 v Regional Integration 106 Non-Governmental Organizations 108 Chapter 5. The Inevitability of Change 110 Highway Infrastructure 113 Hydropower 120 Land Tenure 126 Forest Exploitation 133 Shrimp Farming 139 Coastal Tourism 144 Mineral Extraction and Hydrocarbons 149 Industrialization 156 Climate Change 163 Chapter 6. The Value of Nature 167 Water and Watershed Management 169 Terrestrial Carbon – Sequestration and Storage 177 The Economic Value of Biodiversity Conservation 197 Leveraging Nature for Economic Growth 213 Chapter 7. The Cardamom Solution: Envisioning a Green Economy 216 Forest Resources 220 Agricultural Diversification and Intensification 233 Fisheries and Aquaculture 257 A Diversified and Green Tourism Model 264 The Rest of a Green Economy 268 Chapter 8. The Way Forward 275 Monetize the Value of Forest Carbon 277 Stabilize the Agricultural Frontier 282 Expand Community-Based Management 284 Redefine Cambodia’s Protected Area System 287 Spatial Planning, Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment 290 Governance and Decentralization 294 Sooner Rather than Later 298 Notes 303 Index 328 vi Contents ...