Gleich, Pia

In rural Cambodia, inland freshwater and rice field fisheries are key sources of income, animal protein, and important ecosystem services. As the flood pulse in the Tonlé Sap floodplain recedes post-monsoon, leaving rice fields and local water bodies dry, Community Fish Refuges (CFRs) offer a promising path to sustain dry season fish stocks, aquatic biodiversity, and secure water for agriculture and husbandry. Their sustained physical integrity and productivity as multiple-use system depend on the ability of communities to collectively manage these systems. To explore whether the communities studied have been able to respond to the challenge of collectively managing CFR, we assessed two CFR sites established in 2016 by local and international organizations alongside government agencies. Our aim is to examine: 1) the presence, extent and effectiveness of collective action (CA) at the community level to manage CFR; and 2) the factors that either facilitate or inhibit CA in relation to CFR. We conducted a qualitative case study in two sites in Kampong Thom province between March and May 2023. These were chosen because, although they have similar ecological characteristics, they have different management outcomes according to the implementing international organization, WorldFish. This paper examines a process led by external actors seeking to reshape local behavior and existing institutional arrangements. The study reveals that centralized power structures, rural patronage politics, and limited peer-to-peer communication hinder villagers' participation and agency in managing Community Fish Refuges (CFRs) in Cambodia. These local power dynamics are tied to broader national politics, restricting villagers' ability to drive change and suggesting a need to reevaluate the CFR committee's structure to enhance legitimacy. While extended funding and well-informed external interventions are essential, the study questions the short-term feasibility of CA, emphasizing the critical role of contextual factors and policymakers' assumptions. The findings suggest that CFR governance challenges stem from complex external and internal constraints rather than inherently community limitations.