他最近担任利乐全球最大体育平台支持的党首 美国国际开发署(USAID)“绿化猎物”朗 (USAID GPL)项目. 整整五年, this project focused on protecting and restoring biodiversity in crucial forest and watershed ecosystems across the 3.柬埔寨东北部300万公顷的Prey Lang扩展景观. 该地区受到森林砍伐的威胁, 气候变化的影响, 非法采伐, 野生动物走私.
在Matthew的领导下，USAID GPL取得了以下成果:
$17.5
数百万美元投资于森林碳、生态旅游和可持续农业
3
保护区项目的发展产生了5000万美元的收入
$325,000
小额赠款用于支持社区组织
120,000+
全球最大体育平台们从改善的经济和生计机会中受益
Matthew previously led Tetra Tech’s International 环境与自然资源 team who design and deliver solutions that empower communities and partners to improve natural resource management, 保护生物多样性, 提高当地的, 区域, 以及国家的弹性.
This interview with Matthew Edwardsen about his role as Chief of Party for the USAID Greening Prey Lang project originally appeared in the 气候变化商业杂志.
祝贺你们成功实施了美国的战略.S. 国际开发署在柬埔寨的绿化项目. 您提到将改进的治理作为该项目的方法之一. 在柬埔寨森林保护的背景下，这意味着什么?
Under USAID GPL, we focus on three principal approaches: communities, conservation, and governance. 成功在于这三种方法的重叠. 治理无疑是三种方法中最重要的一种. 没有有效的治理, improving livelihoods for communities or conserving biodiversity is extremely difficult.
Our principal approach to improved governance involves a combination of alignment of our overall project activities with Cambodia’s priorities and direct support to over a hundred community-based organizations. 例如, we have provided direct funding through grants to communities to implement activities which they have defined and prioritized. These activities complement larger country-wide efforts such as securing financial payments for forest carbon sequestration.
当我们提供拨款时, 技术能力建设作为补充, 但这些活动本身是由社区承担的. 活动包括巡逻森林以防止非法采伐, 偷猎, or land clearance; improving ecotourism offerings; or holding monthly meetings with all local stakeholders. 在每一个例子中，社区所有权都是决定性的原则. 虽然这种方法需要大量的全球最大体育平台力资源来执行, we have monitored demonstrable changes in forest governance taking place across dozens of communities due to this bottom-up effort.
Your project supported the development of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects, 你说这会带来数千万美元的收益. 这些钱从哪里来? 这是一次性付款还是定期付款?
我们在USAID GPL下支持了三个独立的REDD+项目. 其中两个属于Verra的碳标准认证项目. 另一种是日本政府支持的联合信用机制.
In all three instances a multi-year REDD+ project development process will result in verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from avoided deforestation. 私营企业购买减排产品, 在REDD+术语中被称为验证碳单位. The income received from sales is used to improve protected area management and support local communities in Cambodia. REDD+项目每年由第三方进行验证. Following each verification, a batch of verified carbon units is sold to private sector companies. We anticipate each of these REDD+ projects to run for ten years with payments taking place each time a batch of verified carbon units is sold.
It is very exciting to hear that the populations of Asian elephants may be double the previous estimates in the area where you work. 你是如何得出这个结论的? 超越亚洲象, 从生物多样性的角度来看，还有什么让你工作的地方与众不同呢?
与我们的合作伙伴国际动植物组织合作, we used non-invasive genetic sampling of dung samples in areas known to have regular elephant presence. Genetic analysis noted a high level of genetic diversity among the elephants and an overall population size that was approximately double the previous estimate.
尽管51只的总体估计仍然很低, 我们相信，如果它们的栖息地得到保护，这些种群可以恢复. 它们的栖息地包括几个保护区，比如普兰野生动物保护区, 哪个是东南亚最大的低地常绿森林. 这个地区是许多特有物种的家园，其中许多是濒危物种. 从长臂猿到巨朱鹭, 这一景观丰富的生物多样性具有全球意义，是不可替代的.
农业一直是全球森林砍伐的主要驱动力. 柬埔寨的情况也是这样吗? 如果是这样的话, how are your approaches on agriculture commodities such as cashew and rice combatting this trend?
柬埔寨也不例外. Significant tracts of Cambodian forest have been cleared for both large cash crop plantations and smallholder agriculture. 这导致柬埔寨全球最大体育平台民的收入增加和发展, 哪个更重要.
也就是说, 这种趋势是不可持续的, and Greening Prey Lang has been working with numerous partners to identify alternatives across numerous commodities. What we aim to do is link private sector partners who are committed to purchasing zero-deforestation agricultural products to communities which can grow them. 这涉及到整个价值链的支持.
One great example of a company we partner with to achieve this goal is the Cambodian firm IBIS Rice. 他们出售的大米是经过认证的有机和无森林砍伐. 鉴于对他们产品的高需求, they pay farmers a 70 percent price premium when rice is grown according to their specifications. Getting farmers to the point where they can become certified IBIS Rice farmers is something that USAID GPL has supported through grants to a local agronomic nonprofit to train farmers and direct technical support for farmer compliance monitoring.
What is the most compelling example of climate change that you’ve observed in Cambodia? 在你们的活动中，你们是如何应对气候变化的?
The most compelling example of climate change I’ve seen in Cambodia has been weather variability. 雨来的早，来的晚，或者根本不来. This creates significant challenges for many of the individuals we’re trying to support, 他们的大部分收入与雨养农业有关.
Under USAID GPL we’re utilizing numerous approaches to help them adapt to this new normal. 我们需要确保社区有多种创收选择. 例如, direct grants which support community members to conduct forest patrols also ensure that communities have long-term access to the numerous non-timber forest products they harvest such as honey and wild mushrooms. Private sector companies which develop buyer agreements with communities also provide drought-resistant seeds. We’ve also been supporting opportunities for communities to enter new sectors such as ecotourism, 哪一个在过去几年里在国内蓬勃发展.
通过多样化的生计选择相结合, 加强森林资源管理, 以及通过REDD+等机制获得长期融资, my hope is that we can improve the adaptive capacity of communities so that they can be resilient to the shocks of climate change.