The Impact of Mimosa pigra on Local Livelihood in the Stung Sen Core Area, Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

The Stung Sen Core Area is situated at the southeastern end of the Tonle Sap Lake, and comprises an area of 6,355 ha. It was created under the Royal Decree on the establishment of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve (TSBR), dated 10 April 2001, and aims to protect unique evergreen riverine forests and associated vegetation assemblages. Stung Sen is the buffer zone of the three core zones within the TSBR, and provides the most important inland wetland in Southeast Asia, both for biodiversity conservation and for livelihoods based on the harvesting of aquatic resources and agricultural farming in the surrounding areas. This core area has been interrupted by an invasive alien plant, namely Mimosa pigra (M. pigra), which has had significant physical and economic impacts upon the natural habitat, local community livelihoods, animals and plants, human health, jobs and the ecosystem. This study discusses the negative impacts of the invasive M. pigra on local livelihoods. It uses economic analysis to calculate the cost of its impact and the cost for recovery; and then provides recommendations on how these impacts can be mitigated. The distribution of M. pigra in core areas has been mapped, and only those areas, which have a high-density of M. pigra, are identified for economic analysis in this study. Face to face interviews were carried out with local authorities, rangers, community members, and farmers within the Stung Sen Core Area, Phat Sonday District. The data analysis is focused on the impact on farming land, fishing yields, local income generation, and natural habitat distruction. This paper is developed on the basis of the results of a pilot site experiment on methods of removing M. pigra to explore the best option for mitigating the spread of M. pigra, and removing existing M. pigra from the Stung Sen core area.