REDD in Prey Long (Cambodia)

Global warming is fast becoming the issue of the 21st century. It is also widely accepted that we indeed are a major course. The question is what we are going to do about it. Deforestation and forest degradation now accounts for about 12% of global emissions. If we are to be serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we have to address deforestation in developing countries. “REDD in Prey Long” is about such a project in Cambodia.

The film follows the development of a Cambodian forest climate project where researchers from Forest & Landscape are working together with local NGOs and the Cambodian forest administration to protect the country’s last intact lowland rainforest. This is being achieved by purchasing the existing timber concessions and financing the transaction by selling carbon credits from the preserved forest.

In addition to its climate benefits, the project seeks to preserve a unique flora and fauna as well as safeguarding the existence of the 250,000 people whose livelihoods depend on the forest.

The film tries to answer questions such as: What is the connection between tropical forests and climate change? How much CO2 is there in a tropical forest? How do you calculate it? What does it correspond to in terms of Danish consumption? And how much is the CO2 bound in the forest worth in the international carbon credit markets?

Finally, the film aims to find out whether climate projects can be structured so they have a positive impact on the biological diversity and economic development for the most disadvantaged people in the developing countries.

The film has been made by Ida Theilade and Lars Schmidt from Forest & Landscape, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with Conservation International and the Blue Moon Foundation. It is produced by Asian Images.

Source:Forest & Landscape, Faculty of Life Sciences(LIFE), University of Copenhagen(UC),Denmark