Shows were staged on the evenings of March 6 and 7, 2016, at O’Say and Pres Rumkel Commune, in which a troupe of 23 young artists (15 of whom were girls) from Koh Pdao Commune, Kratie, used educational dance performances and videos to shine a spotlight on the key role the community could play in biodiversity conservation. The performances emphasised the importance of active community involvement in the conservation and protection of biodiversity, and in ensuring the sustainable use of their resources.

Approximately 1,700 people came to enjoy the shows, at least 85 of whom were actively involved in playing games, singing along to songs, responding to questions and participating in other activities relating to the performances.

Post-event surveys to gather feedback from participants in both communes indicated that at least 80% are now aware of the value of biodiversity conservation, including the negative impact of biodiversity degradation and the importance of sanctions to prevent further damage. These results suggest that the performances succeeded in drawing people’s attention to environmental issues and their negative effects on communities.

Similar events will continue in 2017 in Koh Sneng and Samaki Communes, to raise awareness of the effects of ecological degradation, and to help participants get involved in protecting the biodiversity of their local ecosystems.

This article was contributed by the Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT).

Founded in 2000, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a global leader in enabling civil society to participate in and benefit from conserving some of the world’s most critical ecosystems by providing grants for organisations to help protect biodiversity hotspots, Earth’s most biologically rich yet threatened areas. CEPF is a joint initiative of l'Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank