Wildlife and natural resources in the Northern Plains landscape face a number of growing threats, ranging from small-scale incidents of hunting or land clearance by local people, to large-scale commercial pressures such as mineral exploitation and land concessions. Government agencies and WCS are working in close partnership to eliminate or mitigate these threats.
Mineral prospection is one of the most urgent threats to the landscape, and a number of international and national companies have obtained mineral prospection permits for areas which cover or overlap the Preah Vihear Protected Forest. Development of roads and other transport infrastructure also poses a threat to biodiversity, increasing access to habitat that was previously difficult to reach.
Speculation on land prices means that illegal land grabbing is also a potentially lucrative activity. Land clearance is not only a threat to forests and wildlife, but it also forces local communities off their land. WCS and its partners in Northern Plains are working with communities in a participatory process to identify and secure land for communities. This enables them to resist illegal encroachment by immigrating people and wealthy land grabbers.