Chi Phat Community-Based Ecotourism- សហគមន៍អេកូទេសចរណ៍ជីផាត

Chi Phat communes aims to support the protection of natural and cultural resources of the area and create job and income opportunities for villagers through the development of Community Based Ecotourism products and activities, providing alternative livelihoods in CBET to hunters, loggers and NTFP collectors, provide livelihoods in CBET to the poor and improve commune infrastructure and public facilities. To preserve our culture
3. To improve local communities livelihood
4. To exchange tourists and local cultures
5. To empower local communities (to
manage CBET)

General rules and regulations for Chi Phat Community Based Eco Tourism

1. The project is a non political project and the project committee is the authority that manages the project with no preference to any specific political party together with the partners and stakeholders

2. It is agreed to aim for community economic independence and self management within 5 years from signing this agreement, this means that:

2.1. Financial support will be reduced from year to year including: support to committee, support to CRT, creating new activities, project maintenance and equipment and,

2.2. Financial support will stop after 5 years including: support to committee, support to CRT, creating new activities, maintenance and equipment.

2.3. The community, through the CBET fund, will start repay micro credit and project operation and maintenance costs after 3 years from the project beginning and,

2.4. After 5 years the community fund will have to finance all the operation, maintenance of activities, products and facilities that were developed for CBET.

3. The CBET project aim to provide alternative job to hunters, loggers and NTFP collectors, to support the poor and the commune development

4. Only residents of Chi Phat Commune can join, operate be a member and get the benefit from the respective project products and activities and any villager from Chi Phat can become a member of the respective project.

5. Members must not do hunting of animals and cutting the forest and,

6. Protect natural and cultural resources and use the garbage collection service and not throw garbage in the river or field or forest or burn garbage.

7. All development of activities or products will be conducted in an ecologically sound manner and with respect to local culture following to the design of locally traditional practices.

8. Project Membership Card will be provided to villagers who participate and successfully complete over 80% of the required training

8.1. Only project members that attend training and receive the CBET membership card (point 8) can: Guide tourist in trekking or cycling, host tourists in home stay, rent or sell something for tourists in tourism areas.

8.2. Owners of private businesses that want to receive support and membership card (point 8) from CBET project must respect this document and contribute to the CBET fund for the sustainability of the project

9. All activities and accommodations will be booked, paid for and monitored by the relevant committee through the Community Based Eco-tourism visitor centers.

10. Members must contribute to the community fund for the development and benefit of the commune

11. Members of the project must respect this document



Criteria for becoming a CBET member


General criteria for development:

1. Provide alternative livelihoods for hunter, loggers, wildlife traders, NTFP collectors, slash and burn agriculturalists
2. Support the poor
3. Support the commune development

Criteria for joining CBET activities:

1. Hunter, logger, wildlife trader, NTFP collector, slash and burn agriculture
2. Agree to stop hunting, logging, trading wildlife, commercial NTFP collecting, slash and burn agriculture
3. Poor family
4. Must be adult to operate when have tourist
5. Agree to contribute time and resources to improve facility and insure tourist satisfaction
6. Agree to contribute time for training
7. Agree to share benefit with the community
8. Agree to protect environment
9. Agree to keep village clean and use garbage collection service
10. Agree to respect and help community members and CBET members
11. Agree to take care of project equipment and not misuse project equipment
12. Agree to CBET rules and regulation and discipline measures


Project Management

Community Based Ecotourism Committee
The community based eco-tourism committee is a non political committee that is managing and monitoring the community based eco-tourism project for the benefit of the commune. The committee has 07 members:

1 CBET Committee Chief
1 Committee Deputy Chief responsible for
accountant
1 Receptionist 1
1 Receptionist 2
1 Booking manager
1 Catering manager
1 Engineer

The project committee must be combined from members of the project with no preference to specific political party or relation or favor and is elected every 3 years follow the criteria and in a fair way by the project members. The committee or one of its members can be re-elected if the project members are not happy with his/her performance or if not follow to his/her responsibility or if do not want to continue, this matter can be solved during monthly meetings. Roles and responsibilities of CBET committee

• Identification of tourism areas and activities, planning and implementing new activities and products
• Manage tourists, products, facilities, activities ,commune fund and accounting
• Work together with stakeholders like authorities, NGO, travel agency, tour operators and donors.
• Identify new members and ensure for equal opportunities for villagers follow the criteria and not on family, political or give favor basis
• Ensure all members respect the rules and regulations
• Invite members and prepare and conduct meeting with members every month about the project development and about the community fund
• Consult with members about development of products and activities
• Solve the problems between members or with stakeholders

CBET Advisory Board

The Chi Phat CBET Advisory Board members combine:
1 District authority,
1 Commune Authority,
1 CBET committee leader,
1 DOT official
1 FA official
1 CBET member
1 Wildlife Alliance staff
1 CCBEN staff
The CP CBET Advisory Board will meet 1 time per 3 month to evaluate the CBET development process. The Trapeang Roung CBET Advisory Board members combine:
1 Provincial authority,
1 District authority
1 Commune Council Authority,
4 Village Chiefs
1 DoE official,
1 DOT official
1 FA official from Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity
1 FA official from Koh Kong Forestry Administration Cantonment
1 Wildlife Alliance staff
The TPR CBET Advisory Board will meet 1 time per 4 month to evaluate the CBET development process. Roles and responsibilities CBET Advisory Board

• Advice and support decision regarding CBET development
• Facilitate and help CBET committee to solve problems if required
• Monitor and Ensure CBET fund is used follow to the Rule and Regulation
• Give the final approval to use the money from CBET Fund

Community Fund

The fund is established to support the development and maintenance of the project. The CBET fund is managed by the CBET committees and supervised by the CBET advisory board. The fund is transparent to all members and stakeholders and CBET committee must report on income, expenditure and status of fund during monthly meetings. The CBET fund will be used for:
Support development, equipment and maintenance of products and activities
Support project operation costs and committee
Improve Commune infrastructure; roads, bridges, public facilities, water and electricity supply and waste collection
Support CBET Committee
Support to Community Based Ranger team
Support the commune elders
Support education
Repay for Micro credit schemes

The CBET Advisory Board

The CBET Advisory Board makes sure the fund is used follow to the rules and regulations and gives the final approval to use the money from the fund

Using the CBET fund

1. CBET operations and maintenance costs:
1.1. CBET fund will start sharing operations and maintenance costs by year 2
1.2. The CBET Committee leader can decide on expenses related to the project operations and maintenance costs under 15,000 Real including
1.3. The committee can decide on expenses related to the project operations and maintenance costs under 100,000 Real including

2. CBET investments like; tourism products or commune development, education and support to elders will be decided on according to the following process:
2.1. CBET fund will start pay for investments like; tourism products or commune development education and support to elders by year 3
2.2. The CBET committees will suggest how to use available money of the fund during monthly meetings, members of the project can also give idea and suggest.
2.3. Project members agree by voting on what and on how to spend available money
2.4. The CBET committees leaders will present the results to CBET Advisory Board during CBET Advisory Board 3 month evaluation and monitoring meetings
2.5. CBET Advisory Board evaluate and give approval to spend the money

3. CBET repay to micro credits will start by year 4. Community Based Eco Tourism Fund, Basic Structure