Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project III IN CAMBODIA (LASED III) Background Agri culture, including fisheries and forestry, contributes to over a quarter of Cambodia’s GDP (28 percent in 2018), and 46 percent of rural people rel y on agri culture for employment. Recentl y there has been a sha rp reduction in the agri cul ture sector’s contribution to employment and poverty reduction. Employment generation from agri cul ture grew a t an annual ra te of 2.8 percent during 2007 – 2011, a nd in 2009, the sector absorbed laid off fa ctory workers from the ga rment and footwea r sector during the global financial crisis. From 2011 to 2015, employment creation by the agri cul ture sector shrank by 5.8 percent a yea r due to lower agri cul tural commodi ty pri ces (notabl y ri ce) and drought. Providing sus tainable and secure access to land and natural resources for small agri cul tural producers and rural communities is an integral Locations: pa rt of the government’s poverty reduction LASED III would hos t about 71 sites s trategy. To implement this , the government has and communities, na tionwide, es tablished a legal framework for Social Land except Phnom Penh. Concessions (SLC) that expands land title for the rural poor. The government has also promoted Indi genous Communal Land Ti tling (ICLT) to Financiers: enhance land securi ty for indigenous people. • World Bank (International Development Association): Since 2008, the World Bank’s Land Allocation US$93.00 million for Social and Economic Development (LASED • Royal Government of and LASED II) projects ha ve supported the Cambodia: US$14 million government’s SLC program to successfull y pilot a more sus tainable and tra nsparent process of land allocation to poor people. These projects ha ve also supported the development of rural roads , small i rrigation s ys tems , Implementing Agencies: pri mary s chools and health posts , while provi ding agri cultural training and support for expanded fa rming • The Ministry of Land servi ces. Through these projects , 3360 families have already recei ved land titles and Ca mbodia has alloca ted Management, Urban Planning 17,000 hecta res of residential and agri cul ture farmland to more than 5,000 landless and land-poor families. and Construction (MLMUPC), and About the Project • Ministry of Agriculture, The objective of LASED III is to provide securi ty of land tenure, a gricultural and social servi ces , and selected Forestry and Fisheries infrastructure to fa rmers and communi ties in the project a reas. This will be a chieved through: (MAFF). • Component 1: Selection and Development Planning of SLC and ICLT :  Supporting applica tions for SLC, ICLT, and development support to Indigenous Communi ties, Approval Date: on a firs t come, firs t served basis. June 26, 2020  Providing techni cal support for planning project a ctivi ties. • Component 2: Community Infrastructure Development: Closing Date:  Financing infras tructure inves tments at selected SLC sites and ICLT communities, including December 31, 2026 constructing rural roads, small-scale i rri gation s ys tems , drainage, cul verts, water suppl y and sanita tion fa cilities, s chool buildings, tea chers ’ houses, health posts and communi ty centers . Contact: • Component 3: Agriculture and Livelihood Development: Ms. Mudita Chamroeun,  Settling-in assistance to new land recipients and land prepa ration assistance for a firs t cover World Bank Task Team Leader crop and/or planting of seedlings for tree crops .  Supporting the implementa tion of a comprehensi ve a gri cul tural servi ces s trategy with an E-mail: cmudita@worldbank.org emphasis on clima te-sma rt techniques.  Supporting the establishment and or strengthening of fa rmers organizations for production and ma rket a ctivities whi ch will improve knowledge exchange and peer learning on climate sma rt agri cul ture pra ctices such as better fertilizer use, manure mana gement and integra ted wa ter mana gement. www.worldbank.org  A Community Fund for Development (CFD) will s cale up successful local economi c ini tiatives . • Component 4: Project Management: www.youtube.com/worldbank  Supporting techni cal and opera tional assistance for overall project administra tion and coordination, including social and envi ronmental safeguards management, procurement planning and contra ct management, financial management, disbursement and audi ts , and www.twitter.com/worldbank moni toring, evalua tion and communi cation. Beneficiaries and Results www.facebook.com/worldbank 15,000 rural households will get di rect benefit from LASED III.