CIPO Joins the Launch of the Yak Laom Lake Master Development Plan and Groundbreaking Ceremony for the New Entrance Gate

On 5 October 2026, the Yak Laom Community Protected Area organised a ceremony to officially launch the Yak Laom Lake Master Development Plan and mark the groundbreaking for the construction of the Yak Laom Lake entrance gate. The event was held at the entrance of the Yak Laom Lake tourism site in Yak Laom Sangkat, Banlung City, Ratanakiri Province.

The event aimed to highlight progress made by the Yak Laom Community Protected Area and present the five-year Master Development Plan for 2025–2029 to relevant authorities, development partners, and community members. The plan seeks to strengthen collaborative efforts to conserve biodiversity, protect Indigenous culture and identity, and promote sustainable community-based tourism development.

Strengthening Partnerships for Community Development

The development of the Yak Laom Master Plan and related tourism infrastructure has been supported through collaboration among the community, local authorities, relevant institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations.

In particular, DCA Cambodia’s Small Grant Fund, through the Cambodian Indigenous Women’s Association (CIWA), has contributed support to the planning, preparation, and implementation of the Yak Laom entrance gate construction project. In parallel, funding from NTFP-EP & Samdhana, through the Cambodian Indigenous Peoples Organization (CIPO), has contributed to the development of the Master Plan and related community conservation and development activities.

These contributions have helped strengthen the community’s capacity to participate in development planning, conserve natural resources, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable livelihoods through community-based tourism.

A Community-Led Master Development Plan

The 2025–2029 Yak Laom Master Development Plan has been developed through a participatory process involving community members, including youth, women, elders, and local authorities.

During the first phase of the planning process, the community identified and studied several key areas, including:

• Walking and cycling paths around Yak Laom Lake;
• Parking and visitor facilities;
• A proposed Indigenous cultural center;
• Visitor service and tourism-use areas;
• The design and construction of the Yak Laom entrance gate; and
• Solar energy infrastructure.

The planning process has placed particular emphasis on incorporating Tampuan Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and cultural identity into the design and development of tourism infrastructure.

The Yak Laom Entrance Gate: Culture, Identity, and Conservation

The Yak Laom entrance gate is envisioned not simply as tourism infrastructure, but as an important symbol of the culture, traditions, and identity of the Tampuan Indigenous people.

To ensure that the gate reflects local cultural identity, the project team conducted research on Tampuan architecture and organized three consultation and presentation sessions with community members and elders from the five villages that form the Yak Laom community. Elders and community members with relevant traditional knowledge and expertise provided input and recommendations on the design and cultural elements to be incorporated into the gate.

The architectural and design team of CIPO subsequently supported the development of the architectural concept and technical design. A partner construction company also contributed technical expertise on construction methods and structural components to ensure that the design could be implemented according to appropriate technical standards.

Linking Conservation with Sustainable Development

The development of Yak Laom Lake seeks to link biodiversity and natural resource conservation with cultural preservation and sustainable community livelihoods.

Infrastructure such as cycling paths, solar energy systems, and an entrance gate reflecting Indigenous identity is expected to enhance the area’s tourism potential while creating opportunities for local economic development and income generation. At the same time, these efforts aim to strengthen natural resource conservation and community resilience to climate change.

This approach places the community at the centre of development, with community members playing an important role in identifying priorities, developing plans, and implementing conservation and development activities.

A History of Community Conservation at Yak Laom

Yak Laom Lake and its surrounding landscape hold deep cultural, environmental, and spiritual significance for the Tampuan Indigenous community and the five surrounding villages: Chri, Lapo, Sil, Loun, and Phnom.

Following environmental challenges affecting the lake in the 1990s, local residents began working collectively to establish mechanisms for protecting and managing natural resources. In 1995, community members requested the establishment of a community forestry initiative, with technical support from relevant authorities and assistance from development partners, including UNDP, IDRC, and CARERE.

On 6 September 1998, the Yak Laom community forestry initiative was granted management rights over the forest area for a period of 25 years. As Cambodia’s protected-area governance framework evolved, the community subsequently participated in the process of transitioning from a community forestry model to the Yak Laom Community Protected Area.

Following Sub-Decree No. 78 ANKr.BK, dated 13 June 2018, establishing the Yak Laom Multiple Use Area, and subsequent processes undertaken in 2019, the Yak Laom Community Protected Area was formally recognised. The five surrounding communities have continued to participate in protecting natural resources and developing nature-based tourism.

On 24 April 2019, the Ministry of Environment issued the official recognition of the Yak Laom Community Protected Area within the Yak Laom Multiple Use Area. An official recognition ceremony was subsequently held on 26 April 2019, bringing together representatives of relevant government institutions and local authorities.

These developments demonstrate the community’s continued commitment to protecting its natural resources and cultural heritage while creating opportunities for nature-based tourism and improved local livelihoods.

Moving Forward Through Community Leadership

The implementation of the Master Development Plan and the groundbreaking for the new entrance gate represent an important next step in Yak Laom’s development journey—one that connects nature conservation, cultural preservation, Indigenous identity, and local economic development.

CIPO is proud to work alongside the Yak Laom Community Protected Area and its partners to support a process in which the community plays a central role in determining its development priorities and in protecting its natural resources, culture, and Indigenous identity.

The construction of the Yak Laom entrance gate is therefore more than the development of a new physical structure. It represents the identity, memory, culture, and collective commitment of the community to protect its land, natural resources, and cultural heritage for present and future generations.