Disentangling community-based resource governance through knowledge systems mapping: insights from Community Fish Refuges in rural Cambodia

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cg.contributor.affiliationHumboldt University of Berlin
cg.contributor.affiliationLeibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Water Management Institute
cg.contributor.affiliationWorldFish
cg.contributor.affiliationHuman Resources and Economic Development Organization (HURREDO), Cambodia
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), Cambodia
cg.contributor.affiliationHelmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany
cg.contributor.affiliationCenter for Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE/ CDRI), Cambodia
cg.contributor.initiativeAquatic Foods
cg.contributor.initiativeAsian Mega-Deltas
cg.coverage.countryCambodia
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2KH
cg.coverage.subregionKampong Thom
cg.creator.identifierSanjiv de Silva: 0000-0001-8852-800X
cg.creator.identifierVathanak Sun: 0000-0003-4650-6317
cg.creator.identifiermark dubois: 0000-0002-8092-6465
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.63315/jrcd.v20i2.2595
cg.identifier.iwmilibraryH053887
cg.identifier.projectIWMI - C-0019
cg.identifier.projectIWMI - C-0004
cg.isijournalISI Journal
cg.issn1712-8277
cg.journalJournal of Rural and Community Development
cg.reviewStatusPeer Review
dc.contributor.authorBaldivieso Soruco, C. R.
dc.contributor.authorBonatti, M.
dc.contributor.authorDe Silva, Sanjiv
dc.contributor.authorOu, P.
dc.contributor.authorSoeun, K. O.
dc.contributor.authorNeth, S.
dc.contributor.authorSun, V.
dc.contributor.authorRodríguez, T.
dc.contributor.authorSean, V.
dc.contributor.authorSithirith, M.
dc.contributor.authorDubois, Mark
dc.contributor.authorSieber, S.
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-11T04:44:51Z
dc.date.available2025-06-11T04:44:51Z
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/175048
dc.titleDisentangling community-based resource governance through knowledge systems mapping: insights from Community Fish Refuges in rural Cambodiaen
dcterms.abstractInland fisheries in Cambodia are of great importance to the livelihoods of rural communities, as they provide sustenance and seasonal income for the local population. Community fish refuges (CFRs) are natural or human-made water bodies that hold water throughout the year, providing a dry-season sanctuary for aquatic life. Managed mainly by the local community, CFRs support diverse ecological and human functions, such as biodiversity repositories, including fish stocks, and provide water for irrigation, livestock, and domestic needs. These initiatives have been promoted by several organizations in Cambodia since the 1990s, showing positive ecological impacts and improving food security, especially for marginalized populations. However, the social dimensions of management, the role of local knowledge, and the underlying knowledge systems remain understudied. The objective of this study is to gain insight into the governance mechanisms of CFRs in relation to the local knowledge of management. Four CFR projects conducted by WorldFish and NGO partners between 2016 and 2021 in Central Cambodia were selected for the analysis. A participatory approach was employed using causal loop diagrams (CLDs) through focus group discussions (FGDs) with local stakeholders (n = 38). The methodological approach was based on three phases: exploratory interviews (n=23), causal-loop FGDs (n=4), and FGDs for data validation (n=4). Our study highlights the importance of context-specific and relational knowledge in CFR management, as well as the importance of institutional structures, power dynamics, and social differentiation in shaping knowledge access, distribution, and management. Social mobilization mainly involves village representatives mediating between villagers and external entities, with a certain degree of concentration of power within groups of stakeholders. Enhancing community governance through more inclusive, dialogue-based communication and potentially leveraging informal networks is recommended to channel social learning, considering the sociocultural context and challenges of decentralization in Cambodia.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.available2025-06-09
dcterms.bibliographicCitationBaldivieso Soruco, C. R.; Bonatti, M.; De Silva, Sanjiv; Ou, P.; Soeun, K. O.; Neth, S.; Sun, V.; Rodríguez, T.; Sean, V.; Sithirith, M.; Dubois, Mark; Sieber, S. 2025. Disentangling community-based resource governance through knowledge systems mapping: insights from Community Fish Refuges in rural Cambodia. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 20(2):1-33. doi: https://doi.org/10.63315/jrcd.v20i2.2595
dcterms.issued2025-06
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseOther
dcterms.publisherRural Development Institute (RDI) at Brandon University
dcterms.subjectrural communities
dcterms.subjectresource management
dcterms.subjectgovernance
dcterms.subjectcommunity fish refuges
dcterms.subjectaquatic food systems
dcterms.subjectcollective action
dcterms.subjectstakeholders
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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