Cambodian Rural Development Team

who we are

Community Development Tours Supporting Dolphin Conservation

Decades of war and intense poverty have left Cambodia’s natural environment in a fragile state. With an estimated 35% of the population living below the poverty line, many Cambodians have turned to the exploitation of forests and rivers for their livelihoods. CRDT is a local NGO bridging the gap between rural development and conservation.

With a shared understanding of the hardships and poverty facing many remote communities in Cambodia, CRDT was formed in 2001 by four ambitious Khmer university students from rural backgrounds. Now, CRDT is an established and reputable local NGO creating sustainable solutions to today’s environmental problems through alternative livelihoods and sustainable agricultural technologies and practices.

what we do

Since 2004, CRDT has helped introduce a variety of alternative livelihoods to over 3,000 families in Northeast Cambodia. Our team spends the majority of their time living and working in the villages directly alongside the people they are trying to help.

These efforts not only build the capacities of rural communities to help themselves, but also assist the conservation efforts for the critically endangered freshwater Mekong River Irrawaddy Dolphin in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces and the protection of tropical forest biodiversity in Mondulkiri.

Our Dolphins for Development: Chance for Survival project, in partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), is working with 20 communities living adjacent to the dolphin habitats, introducing alternative sources of income aimed at reducing human pressure on river habitat and fish stocks upon which dolphin populations depend.