Mobile wood forensic equipment and an intelligent patrol monitoring system are strengthening efforts to combat illegal logging and timber trafficking at Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province, enabling rangers to identify timber species, track forest crimes and collect scientific evidence for legal proceedings.
The technologies, comprising Mobile Wood Forensic Tools and the SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) system, are helping protect more than 167,000 hectares of tropical rainforest and strengthen patrol operations, according to officials.
Speaking during a media visit to the sanctuary on November 5, Ministry of Environment spokesman Khvay Atitya said combining SMART technology with mobile wood forensic expertise had significantly enhanced the sanctuary’s capacity to protect forests and biodiversity.
He said SMART enabled rangers and community patrol teams to record real-time information on illegal logging, land encroachment, snare locations and sightings of rare wildlife, while identifying crime hotspots to improve patrol deployment.
The mobile forensic equipment can identify timber species even when the wood has been processed, stripped of bark or painted to conceal its identity, while generating scientific evidence that can support legal proceedings against offenders.
Pet Phaktra, chief of the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary Office, said the training had strengthened rangers’ investigative skills, including tracking illegal timber transportation, gathering intelligence, managing crime scenes and collecting legally admissible evidence.
Atitya said the initiative, implemented under the Ministry of Environment with technical support from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia, would also support the Keo Seima REDD+ project and generate further benefits for local communities.
He added that data collected through SMART would serve as an official basis for law enforcement and the preparation of case files for submission to court.
The initiative has also supported the establishment of four community protected areas to help prevent illegal forest encroachment.
- Tags: Cambodia, Mondulkiri
