First person: Koeut Chhunly

I really love nature. As a Christian, I believe that God really wants us to take care of all of creation.

I grew up in Cambodia’s Battambang province, close to the shores of the Tonlé Sap Lake, or Great Lake. Through the Tonlé Sap River, the lake is connected to the larger Mekong River. In the area, there is also a forest, which the people in my town would visit during national holidays. We always wanted to spend time inside the forest, where we could connect with the fresh air, rather than in the noisy town. In the forest, we could find a quiet peacefulness, which is so important to mental wellness.

Today, I live in the city of Phnom Penh, but Cambodia’s natural resources remain important to me. In the city, we depend upon water from the Mekong. I want to keep the water clean, for the sake of our health. Fish from the river are important sources of protein here, and they are so much more flavorful than farmed fish.

But fish populations have been going down, and with that the cost of river fish is rising. Our forests — including Battambang’s woodlands and the vast Prey Lang Forest — are losing their oldest and largest trees. In some parts, only small trees are left. 

Cambodia is now seeing air pollution problems that we’ve never had before, and weather patterns are changing from when I was a child. In the past few decades, more companies have been able to get permits for things like factories, house construction and commercial logging. But also, financial difficulties have led more people to take part in illegal fishing and logging.

The people who live in rural communities, in the forest and on the river, depend on Cambodia’s natural resources in all aspects of their lives. So, they are the first to feel all these changes.

I have worked with Peace Bridges Organization (PBO) for 17 years and currently work with women from these communities, empowering them to take an active role in river and forest protection. 

I lead conflict resolution and leadership trainings so that they can join patrols of the Mekong River and Prey Lang Forest, in boats or on motorbikes. The women travel as a group, sometimes with local men’s groups, sometimes on their own. They look out for people fishing or logging illegally, and they talk to them. In trainings, the women learn about the laws surrounding fishing and logging. They take the time to explain to fishers and loggers how breaking these laws affects their communities.

Working with the women’s groups is not always easy. There is a mindset here that women cannot do anything but care for their households. Patrolling the river and forest are talked about as a man’s job, not a woman’s. This is partly because the patrols are overnight trips, and it is not common for women to leave home for so long.

Sometimes, the women’s husbands are worried about their safety, and others in the community may criticize them for being away from home. The women worry about getting all their housework done before they leave for trips, and sometimes they get called home early to care for their families. 

PBO and the women’s group leaders take the time to sit with people in the community, building trust. The husbands have become supportive. Many even have started to take care of the housework while their wives are away, which is not a common thing.

The women’s mindsets have changed, too. They no longer view patrolling as men’s work. Being in a group together provides them a space to talk about not only the challenges of protecting the river and forest, but also about personal challenges. They feel less isolated. I see them organizing community events and even speaking to the public at those events. I am excited to see them doing this kind of work.

When I travel to the forest with the women, my mind feels fresh and peaceful. I feel that connection to creation that I have felt since childhood. The human being needs nature; I always keep this in mind.

Koeut Chhunly is a senior program coordinator with Peace Bridges Organization.