Advancing Restoration of Native Agarwood – Aquilaria crassna and A. Malaccensis – for Sustainable Use and Management in Southwestern Cambodia

Goal

The project aims to address the significant decline of native agarwood species in community forests over the past decades by rehabilitating former agarwood ecosystems, raising awareness about restoration efforts, and creating supportive conditions for family and private-sector plantations. Restoration activities focus on replanting native agardwood species in community forestry sites, smallholder farms, and private lands across Koh Kong, Kampong Speu, Pursat, and Battambang provinces in the Cardamom Mountains region.

Objective

1. Rehabilitate former agarwood ecosystems by piloting restoration activities in identified suitable areas across the country.
2. Increase public awareness and knowledge about native agarwood restoration in Southwestern Cambodia.
3. Strengthen enabling environments to support the development of family-scale and private sector plantations of native agarwood species.

Expected Outputs

• 12,500 seedlings planted for each of the four provincial sites;
• Data on status of native Agarwood species established in each provincial site;
• National technical workshops on the status of native Agarwood species conducted for stakeholder discussions and data dissemination;
• Two (2) hectare of native Agarwood plantations established by family-scale and private sectors in each of the four target provincial sites;
• Official lists of private and family-scale plantations established in all four provincial sites;
• Capacity building on forest ecosystems and typical native Agarwood habitats provided to owners of family-scale and private plantations.