Approximately 90km north of Phnom Penh, the Kampong Chhnang province consists of 8 districts, 69 communes, 546 villages and 86,944 families. Kampong Chhnang's main industries are fishing and rice growing, as well as pottery. In Khmer, chhnang means pot. There is also a lobster fishing industry. There is also a large fishing industry in the parts of the province that are situated near the Tonle Sap Lake, one of the biggest lakes in South Asia. With its green paddy fields, rivers and sugar palm-lined horizons, Kampong Chhnang is a wonderful place to spend a few lazy days and take in the sights of the traditional Cambodian way of life.

When talking about Kampong Chhnang, most of people will think of Kangrey Mountain which is the historical symbol of Kampong Chhnang. Now, one of the remarkable and significant features in the mountain area is the role of the Buddhist monks play in maintaining and protecting natural resources, especially forest resources around this mountain. Since February 2006, the Association of Buddhists for the Environment (ABE), funded by GEF, TRACT, Small Grants Programme of UNDP, has started its project 18 villages, 4 communes (Da, Por, Chronok, Trangel), Kampong Leng district of Kampong Chhnang province. The Environmental Education Outreach Program through Pagoda underway certain activities such as environmental awareness raising, environmental education through video showing, installing environmental bulletin board, improving water management, producing composting fertilizer, planting and caring for tree, improving the pagodas campus, vegetable gardening, wildlife conservation, tree ordination, Dhammayietra (peace walk) and environmental forum have been done into villages.

ABE believes that in order to urge local community stop harming the natural resources, we have to build the peace in side of our local villagers’ heart and make them fond of the nature. ABE has cooperated with five community forestry committees to spread out the message of forest, wildlife conservation and other environmental issues. There are 50, 000 hectors of forest with in these five community forestry. To strengthen the environmental conservation, five environmental youth groups were established under facilitation of ABE to be key persons who take care of their local environment. To improve livelihood of villagers, saving groups and gardening groups were also set up with clear structure and policies ABE also found that although rainwater is a good source of water for drinking and others use for those areas, but it is may be seasonal, and it is often difficult for community to rely on rainwater alone. Therefore ABE constructed ponds, 6 rain harvesting tanks for 5 schools and one pagoda of four communes. Every tank normally can store 40,000 liters of water so that it’s always available to villagers to use during dry season. In addition, 250 water filters were also distribute to 15 schools, 10 pagodas, and villagers.

ABE monk groups usually do fund raising to help the poorest in their local villages. The funds come from donation of local villagers during the peace walks and the religious ceremonies. One of significances which we might consider is that some pagodas set up policy requiring each monk have to pay 2000 riels (0.5 US dollar) per month for donation. These movements of fund raising have happened when ABE went to collaborate with those pagodas on the environmental conservation of their local community.

With its fruitful results of the project implementation activities, ABE has been working closely with local chief of villages, commune councils, chief of communes, chief of district and other stakeholders to conserve natural resources and improve the livelihoods of local communities through out the target areas. ABE has been recognized as an actively unit organization which encourages monks to participate in social development in their local communities. ABE normally presents and discusses those achievements with the Chief of District for every month; and Chief of District often reported ABE work to provincial governor as well the government. Remarkably, on 30th June 2008, to respond to ABE which has developed their communities, Mr. Cheng Ngang, Deputy provincial governor of Kampong Chhnang, on behalf of the government representative, offered National Rehabilitated Medal to ABE for its contribution to rehabilitate the district infrastructure, more particularly to waken local people how to preserve their forests, wildlife, and other natural resources within community. “We are grateful to ABE for its participation to develop our villages. None of the above achievements would have been possible without ABE commitment! We are really happy to collaborate with ABE in any activities at any circumstances! Being as local authority, we would like to mention that we can not develop our community without the participation of civil development partners such NGOs, IOs and private sectors” said, Mr. Cheng Ngang.