TOWARDS CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF AGARWOOD

The Global Trees Campaign is working with partners in Cambodia to develop sustainable conservation and management options for Aquilaria species, a group of trees that have been severely over-exploited for the valuable agarwood they produce.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Agarwood is the highly fragrant and valuable resin, used for the production of perfumes, incense, medicines and cosmetics and is generated by the Indomalesian tree genus Aquilaria. Agarwood has been used and traded internationally for over 2000 years.

Habitat loss and overexploitation through increased demand and have dramatically contributed to the decline of agarwood-producing Aquilaria populations. The resin is produced by the tree in response to infection by a parasitic fungus. Signs of presence of agarwood in Aquilaria are not obvious to exploiters lacking in local knowledge. As a result, trees are often cut down indiscriminately in the search for resin with a negative impact on the entire forest ecosystem.

In Cambodia, agarwood collection is important to rural communities whose livelihood depends on collecting and selling resin-laden wood. Nine Aquilaria species are considered to be threatened (IUCN Red List 2007) and the genus is listed on CITES Appendix II. This project proposes to create a conservation collection of local genetic diversity of endemic Aquilaria crassna,to reintroduce the species into local natural populations and to establish plantations and fungus inoculation techniques for sustainable use.

The aim of this project is to rehabilitate and conserve degraded forest habitat with a particular emphasis on tree species of economic, medicinal and cultural importance within a Community Protected Area (CPA) inside Bokor National Park, Kampot, southern Cambodia. It also aims to develop the livelihoods of the communities that depend on the area’s natural resources and empower them to manage the CPA.

This project provides a way of safeguarding the unexplored floral wealth of the area; increasing the presence of valuable but threatened Aquilaria crassna trees, bamboos and rattans; reducing over-harvesting of non timber forest products.

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