Where we work
Priority areas
CRDT works throughout Cambodia, with diverse communities. Over 80% of our projects focus on northeast Cambodia, especially Kratie, Stung Treng and Mondulkiri provinces. Over 60% of our projects are in protected areas, such as the River Dolphin Management Area, Stung Treng Ramsar Site and Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Map of CRDT field offices with National Protected Areas.
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Mekong River fishing, Kratie
Kratie Province
The Mekong River dominates Kratie province. The Mekong has hundreds of seasonally flooded islands, and is home to the rare Irrawaddy dolphins, giant catfish and stingrays, Cantor’s soft-shell turtles, and birds such as the endemic Mekong Wagtail.
Seventy percent of the province’s residents live along the Mekong River; the hinterland is sparsely populated, and areas of old forest remain. Seventy percent of the population are rural subsistence farmers or fishers. Kratie is one of the four provinces with a substantial Indigenous population, and 8% of the population are members of the Phnong, Kouy, Mil, Khonh, Kraol, Steang, and Thamoun ethnic groups.
Mekong communities are highly dependent on natural resources. CRDT supports the conservation of dolphins by promoting alternative incomes for fishing people, reducing the pressure on the dolphin environment. We educate and advocate to end indiscriminate fishing methods such as explosives, electro-fishing, poison and gillnets. CRDT trains community members to become wardens for the environment, to protect wildlife to ensure a future income through tourism, and to protect fishery and forest resources for their children and grandchildren’s generation.
Stung Treng Province
Stung Treng province is a remote and sparsely populated. Its northern boundary is Cambodia’s international border with Laos. The Mekong River crosses the province roughly through the center.
Stung Treng is a unique province. It is quite distinct from other Cambodian provinces in the Mekong basin. The province is characterized by extensive forests, intersecting rivers and streams and low population density. Stung Treng also includes the western reaches of the Virachey National Park, accessible from Siem Pang, a small, beautiful town on the Tonle Kong River. The province also features three big rivers the Tonle Kong, the Tonle San and the mighty Mekong with its hundreds of small islands scattered on the river stretch in Stung Treng Province.
The population of Stung Treng constitutes just 0.7% of Cambodia’s population. The population density is 7 people per square kilometer, which is nine times less than the national density. As the population is low and the province is endowed with natural resources, the immigration rate is very high. In Stung Treng, about 80% of the population are work in agriculture.
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In Stung Treng, CRDT operates projects within the high priority Ramsar wetland conservation site in close collaboration with partner, WWF.
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Trees in the Mekong River flooded forest.
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Kou Prey (Wild cow) statue, Mondulkiri.
Mondulkiri Province
Mondulkiri Province in the northeast is the largest province in Cambodia by area, but its most sparsely populated. Mondulkiri is famous for its thickly forested mountains, rivers and powerful waterfalls.
About 80% of the population in Mondulkiri are members of ten different Indigenous groups. The largest of these groups is the Phnong (Bunong) people. Most Indigenous people are subsistence farmers, who grow rice and vegetables, mostly to feed their families.
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Despite efforts to protect the natural resources, Mondulkiri faces threats of logging, land-grabbing, displacement of Indigenous people and destructive mining operations.
CRDT works in Mondulkiri to reduce poverty and improve food insecurity for Indigenous communities in support of forest conservation. We promote alternative livelihood development in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary to complement Wildlife Conservation Society programs on land use planning and conservation activities.