History

The Association of Buddhists for the Environment (ABE) is an organization that involves monks from all 23 provinces in Cambodia working to strengthen the Sangha (the community of Buddhist monks and nuns) in its efforts to protect the environment. The ABE was founded in Phnom Penh at a General Assembly on 9th March 2005 with the presence of His Eminence of Sangaraja Bou Kry; supported by ARC, as the consultants of World Bank Asia Faiths/Forest Initiative, and the technical assistance for the outreach workshops and training of conservation NGO, Mlup Baitong. ABE has its board of directors with 9 members and 21 monk representatives. The board of director and monk representatives has been selected at General Assembly in order to provide liaison and information sharing about monks of each province/municipality.

Goals and Focus

The Main Goal of ABE is to promote the cleaner and healthier environment as to preserve the natural resources as forestry, wildlife, and aquatic resources.

In 2005, ABE has provided capacity building training workshop for monk representatives throughout the country on "General Environment and Micro-project".  This training was held under the support of ARC and facilitated by Mlup Baitong.

In partnership with Mlup Baitong, ABE has been overseeing a number of temple based community outreach projects, mainly in Kompong Speu and Kompong Thom, listed below.  ABE's role is to build monks capacity by employing partner experts to train the monks so that they may create model temples as an example, and at a later stage be a training center for, local communities.  The following are the temple based projects they are engaged with:

• Environmental Awareness Raising
• Environmental Education using audio tapes and video shows
• Installing educational bulletin boards

Monks are watching an educational                    Monks are explaining educational
bulletin board.                                                 posters to the visitors and villagers.

• Improving water management

Monks are managing the well                 2 Water basins are constructed in a pagoda
digging process.                                     to improve water system in the pagoda.

• Producing Compost Fertilizer

Sample Compost Bin

• Planting and Caring for Trees

Monks are taking exposure visit to                        Monks are planting trees.
one tree nursury.                                                                    

• Improving Pagoda grounds

Monks and pagoda's committees             Monks are making a trash bin.
are cleaning the pagoda's ground.                                                            

• Vegetable gardening
• Establishing model garden for fruit and vegetables

Sample Model Garden

• Installing Improved Cook Stove (ICS)

Sample ICS                                                  A villager is using ICS.

• Improving pagoda accounting system
• Community Forestry

Community Forestry in Oddar Meanchay                         Monks are ordaining trees.

• Wildlife conservation

Monk is feeding the bear                                        Monk is walking along with
in Tamao zoo, Cambodia.                           the elephants  in Tamao zoo, Cambodia.

• Environmental resource center

........ Soon ........

Barely a year in existence, ABE successfully established partnership with UNESCO, with whom the monks are collaborating to enhance their revival of traditional arts and crafts in the Sangha program by providing an environment dimension to the project.

ABE’s Projects

Cambodia is a Buddhist country with over 90% of the population following Buddhist teachings.  The pagoda is traditionally the center of community life and learning.  After years of suffering under the Khmer Rouge regime when religion was officially banned and the subsequent years of civil war, the pagoda is now reemerging as an important center of village life.  At the same time, the state of Cambodia’s environment is rapidly declining due largely to deforestation, hunting, and poor waste management.

Based on the strong ecological orientation of Buddhism and the prestige of the monks and nuns in the community, they can play an important social role in guiding local populations in understanding, protecting, and improving the environment and in exerting moral pressure on those abusing the environment to change their behavior.  With this, ABE has implemented the following projects:

1. Production of a documentary film on community forestry and monks:

This project aims to introduce the existing role and potential roles of monks in raising awareness and implementing community forestry by showcasing several existing initiatives around the country. In addition, the video will give a brief introduction to the community forestry process and explain how monks and communities can play an active role. This intervention is needed to raise the profile of both community forestry, and the role that Buddhist communities can have in this process.

2. Environmental Education through Pagodas
• Kampong Chhnang EE Project

The project is being implemented in 4 pagodas namely Kiripheakdey pagoda, KompongBachem pagoda, PurThiRangSey pagoda, and MeanKun pagoda.

ABE’s approach is to increase capacity of monks and include tree planting and home gardening in pagodas and in surrounding communities. The goal is to increase the capacity and awareness of monks and villagers on the connection between Buddhism and environment and to promote environmental conservation and by using the pagoda as a center for learning and a model in sustainable use of natural resources. The main activities are capacity building for monks, which is essential in the project. The capacity building aspect will lay down the foundation for the monks for future activities, such as support to community-based initiatives and alternative livelihoods for the community. The trainings will be on general concept of environment, forest-related topics such as importance of forests, several laws and sub-decrees pertaining to forests and the pagoda management systems.
This project is under the support of the European Commission through the United Nations Development Programme’s Small Grants Programme for the Promotion of Tropical Forests and will run for 18months.

• Kampot EE Project

This project will be carried out in 6 target pagodas surrounding the Bokor mountains in Kampot province in order to strengthen environmental education capacity of monks to reach out and work with the local communities. Despite Bokor’s status as a national park, it is threatened by illegal activities, such as wildlife hunting and poaching, encroachment, and illegal logging for charcoal production and firewood (for domestic consumption and for selling). More often than not, most of the violators are the impoverished villagers, either doing this for their own survival or hired as laborers by a third party. International conservation NGO WildAid is supporting ABE to increase the capacity of monks in reaching out to the community spreading environmental knowledge and awareness as well as exerting moral pressure on those who are abusing the environment.
The focus will be on Buddhism and environment activities, especially concentrating on the role of pagodas in environmental education at local community level. Even though pagodas play a vital role in communities, their environmental knowledge is often limited.

3. The Sangha Network Website (http://www.sanghanetwork.org/)
   
   The Sangha Network website aims to map Buddhist communities in Asia working to promote environmental conservation at international, national and grassroots levels.
   The website was supported by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation and features stories from around the region on what Buddhist communities are doing conservation-wise, an open forum for members discussion, an online membership registration and many others. It is dedicated to helping monks, nuns and the Buddhist laity to connect with one another as well as with Ministries, Government, Forestry and Fishery departments, wildlife bodies, NGOs, training bodies and individuals and organizations involved in natural resource management.
   
   

ABE's Staffs

ABE is governed by 9 Board Members and 23 provincial monk representatives. ABE is headed by Ven. Hiek Sopheap and holds office in Phnom Penh. The following are ABE’s staff:

Board Members

Provincial Monk Representative