In July 2007 ABE cooperated with Conservation International (CI) support and strengthen the role of pagodas in promoting environmental conservation and education within the communities living in and around the Central Cardamom Protected Forest (CCPF), with particular focus on Buddhist monks, pagodas, and villages surrounding pagodas in Russey Chrum, Prolay, Thma Daunpeuv, and Tatai commune, Thma Bang district of Koh Kong province.

Siem Reap is one of 24 provinces/municipalities in Cambodia, and is very famous for having many temples. The Siem Reap River is symbolically very important, flowing from Kulen Mountain across temple areas to the Tonle Sap Lake.

Venerable Hiek Sopheap, Executive Director of The Association of Buddhists for the Environment, was invited to join the Faith and Forestry Gathering. There were various religious such as Druze, Christian, Shinto, Buddhism, Judaism, Hindu from 12 difference countries and from others organizations including ARC, CI, GEF Small Grants Programme, UNDP, IUCN, and WWF, in order to introduce the main issue of their position on forest management and environment, which based in Visby, Island of Gotland, Sweden.