Ongoing Projects

  1. Water Resource Management Research Capacity Development Programme
  2. Tropical forests for poverty alleviation - from household data to global analysis
  3. Building Community Capacity for Poverty Reduction Initiatives in the Tonle Sap Basin

Research Activities

The "Water Resource Management Research Capacity Development Programme (WRMRCDP)" is a 5-year project (Jul 2006-Jun 2011) funded by AusAID. It is a joint research collaborative project among CDRI, University of Sydney, Royal University of Phnom Penh, MOWRAM and MAFF. The objective of this project is to improve the use and governance of water resources to increase agricultural production and sustainable use of water resources in Cambodia. The prime target areas are watersheds surrounding the Tonle Sap Great Lake.


The Danida-PEN project on "Tropical Forests for Poverty Alleviation – from Household Data to Global Analysis" is a 3- and half-year project funded by Danida. It is part of the Poverty and Environment Network (PEN). The objective of the project is to advance our understanding of the role of tropical forests in preventing and reducing rural poverty in different contexts. The project is a joint research collaboration of 5 institutions including University of Copenhagen (KU), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), the Départment de Sociologies at the University of Ouagadougou (DSUO) in Burkina Faso, and the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI).


The "Building Community Capacity for Poverty Reduction Initiatives in the Tonle Sap Basin" targets a cross section of community organizations such as community fishery and flooded forest organizations, and women’s committee in the 37 communes under the Tonle Sap Sustainable Livelihoods Project (TSSLP), including communes in which fisheries organizations have been established under the Tonle Sap Environmental Management Project (TSEMP). The focus will then gradually shift to communes targeted under the Tonle Sap Lowland Rural Development Project (TSLRDP), and the Tonle Sap Participatory Watershed Management Project (TSWMP). The main objective of the JFPR assistance is to support capacity development of the communes and community organizations that are or will be beneficiaries/participants in the four major poverty reduction projects in the Tonle Sap Basin. Specifically, the Project will support training, demonstration, and knowledge sharing with the community leaders, community organizations, and appropriate government staff so that the community can participate effectively in the poverty reduction initiatives under the four Tonle Sap Initiative (TSI) projects, i.e. the TSSLP, TSEMP, TSLRDP, and the TSWMP.


The "Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rubber Plantation Development in Cambodia" is a 1-year project, funded by EEPSEA. The objective of this study is to analyse trade-offs related to rubber plantation development in Cambodia based on a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) framework. Three large-scale plantations were selected for an in-depth survey. A total of 151 households, 26 plantation workers, 30 plantation holders, and 10 key informants were interviewed in June 2007.


At its beginning in 2001, the NRE programme generated a baseline assessment of natural resources and rural livelihoods in Cambodia. The prioritised issues of this assessment were examined in 2002 and taken into account for sustainable development plan.

The next phase of the programme, “Rural Livelihoods and Environment”, was the study of and raising awareness about the links among natural resources, rural livelihoods and sustainable development. In 2003, NRE research focused on identifying constraints on trade in fish and forest products and assessing the impacts of these constraints on rural incomes, with four projects involving field work in more than 10 provinces. The improvement of fish and forest products trade was regarded as one of the most important opportunities in the country for poverty reduction and improving of rural livelihoods. In 2004, the identifying constraints had been emphasised greater for establishing and supporting effective local resource management and opportunities for improving livelihood in according with these resources.

From 2004 to 2005, a completed study of the livelihood and resource management aspects of Cambodia’s high value forests began on the valuation of forest resources focused on the provinces of Kratie and Mondulkiri, and piloted the use within CDRI of GIS mapping technology.

A project on “Managing Natural Resources for Poverty Reduction: Policy Research on Resource Benefits and Management Options” was carried out from April 2005 to June 2006. It focused on valuation including economic analysis of forest conversion in Cambodia and aimed to support and improve policy making on sustainable development, natural resource management and poverty reduction.

Research Partners


The following are national and international research partners: