We believe in socially and ecologically fair biodiversity conservation that promotes mutually beneficial co-existence between nature and people.
At FCEE, we revive wetlands with a holistic socio-ecological system perspective: biodiversity conservation goes hand in hand with local community livelihoods, well-being and stewardship, incorporating all stakeholders.
FCEE Biodiversity Researcher Vichet said it best: “Wetlands are not just habitats for endangered species like the fishing cat - they also support local livelihoods, culture, and everyday life. I’m passionate about understanding these relationships through field research and community engagement, because it’s only by seeing the full wetland ecosystem, including people and their needs, that we can develop practical, effective solutions for conservation and habitat restoration.”
Our co-existence approach is based on the best available knowledge including from:
Guidance within international frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ramsar Convention, the Nagoya Protocol, IUCN, IPBES assessments and the latest socio-ecological scientific research;
Locally embedded best practices found within Local or Traditional Ecological Knowledge, which may be gathered and incorporated via conducting needs assessments; engaging and building capacity for local communities; and connecting livelihoods to paid conservation work, and aiming to develop conservation-business integrated models. Read more in our Publications.
FCEE is led by women and we seek to promote professional and personal development opportunities for women throughout our conservation work. Our feminist principles and bedrock values of inclusion, equity and empowerment guide all our work.
Growing Cambodia’s wetlands together
Research shows that no one does conservation better than indigenous people and local communities!
At FCEE, we strive to equip people at the heart of natural sites with the tools and resources to protect and enhance their wetland homes. We seek to strengthen and embed local capacity for sustainable livelihoods within wetland sites. For example, we support community members to manage mangrove restoration, patrolling and ecotourism within wetlands. Read more about how FCEE supports wetland communities here.
IPBES (2019): Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. E. S. Brondizio, J. Settele, S. Díaz, and H. T. Ngo (editors). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 1148 pages. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3831673