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No Water, No Life

Climate-proofing Agricultural Practices and Water Management in Rural Cambodia

February 26^th, 2015

Too much water...

Cambodia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, especially its flood-prone rural areas, which are among the poorest in the country.

Flooding destroys rice fields (often the main source of income in rural Cambodia), ruins homes, and damages other valuable infrastructure every year. Hundreds of people and livestock are evacuated to the hills each rainy season, leaving behind flood-ravaged rice fields and homes.

Flood in Prek Taam village, Kratie province in 2014. The province is known as a flood prone area.

Too Little Water...

Inadequate water is another major obstacle to successful farming, directly impacting incomes and livelihoods. Insufficient water during the dry season has impacted farmers’ productivity and is one cause of their migration in search of alternative jobs.

resilient farming

The Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia project is working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to help rural farming communities become more resilient. Through the Climate Change Adaptation Facility (CCAF), established by Canada in partnership with UNDP, the project is working to sustainably increase agricultural yields in the face of climate change.

“I expect a 50% increase [900,000 Riels (US$225)] in income this year,” said 68 year-old Tourn Sakon, from Kulen Cheug village, Preah Vihear province.

In the past, Mr. Sakon walked 200 metres to fetch water from a pond in his village. Now that there is solar power and water connected to his house, he can focus his attention on growing diverse types of vegetables. In 2014, he said his earnings were meagre because he did not have much knowledge of agricultural techniques. This year, the project team, together with the Provincial Department of Agriculture, plans to offer additional trainings on resilient farming (e.g. integrated farming systems).

Sakon said he is ready to diversify crops on his 600 square metre plot of land to increase his income and enhance his family’s economic security.

Tourn Sakon, from Kulen Cheug village, Preah Vihear province.

Women and Water

The project also collaborates with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to mainstream gender issues, and the distinct roles of men and women, into climate change adaptation. The aim is to empower women and encourage equal participation in resilience-building activities.“I grew some vegetables before the project support, but the output was low because I did not have knowledge on how to produce fertiliser and the technical knowledge on vegetable planting,” said Ms. Kuy Samoeun, who’s now a successful farmer and leader of her village’s Water User Group.

A greenhouse was recommended to the villagers to prevent water-logging under heavy rain conditions. The project provided a plastic cover and net, and farmers invested in the rest needed to build the structure. The project helped farmers gain easier water access, which saves Ms. Samoeun time from collecting the limited water from a well 100 metres from her house. With help from the project, Ms. Samoeun also completed two study tours in Thailand to learn the method of integrated farming systems. After returning from the trainings, she implemented what she learned.

Ms. Net Soksan, a member of Vattanak Commune Council, and other villagers from Kratie province came together to share the experiences they faced during floods and droughts. They expressed appreciation for the project and for the new irrigation system, which they said will allow them to expand their farming activities.

In total, the project supports 5,500 households in 32 communes across 4 districts, located in Preah Vihear and Kratie provinces. Of these households, 62% are considered vulnerable based on national criteria (which includes having less than a single hectare of rice fields, widows, those older than 60 and people with 5 or more children). Women comprise 60% of these vulnerable households.

In Preah Vihear province, another woman whose life has been touched by the project is Ms. Roun March. Growing vegetables around her house in Tham Cheat village, she has been able to earn an average of 20,000 Riels (US$5) a day from selling her produce to the local market.

“I now no longer have concerns about the water problem as I had in the past. All I have to concentrate on now is growing a variety of vegetables,” said March, a single mother of two children.

In the past, there was not enough water due to the dryness of the well, and she could not do much planting. She worked in other peoples’ rice fields to earn money. Now she does not have to sell her labour to others anymore. She said she will keep “working hard – not to please anyone but for my own sake”.

Under the project, villagers were trained in planting techniques and drip irrigation systems.

Canal made of concrete for resilience to flood, was built in
2012, Bos Leav village, Kratie province. — Canal made of concrete for resilience to flood, was built in 2012, Bos Leav village, Kratie province.

Climate Change Adaptation Facility

In 2015, the project will expand to reach at least 500 households in the same target villages. Adapting to climate change, promoting enhanced agricultural practices and improving water resource management are all part of the effort.

The Climate Change Adaptation Facility (CCAF) aims to strengthen climate-resilient approaches to agriculture and water management, with an emphasis on gender-sensitive approaches. The facility supports projects in Cambodia, Cape Verde, Haiti, Mali, Niger and Sudan that scale up or extend projects previously supported by the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund.

For more information, visit the UNDP Project Profile: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia or join the Project’s Facebook Page: NAPA Follow-up Project.

*This Photo Essay is based on the No Water, No Life (2015) publication produced by the Project Support Unit of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Mr. Cheang Chun, Agriculture District Extension Officer, Sambo district, Kratie province.

Mr. Mao Sarat, 54 years old, is one of the beneficiaries
at Tham Cheat village, Preah Vihear province. — Mr. Mao Sarat, 54 years old, is one of the beneficiaries at Tham Cheat village, Preah Vihear province.

Mr. Sorn Bundin, Director of Kok Srolao Primary School.

Tham Cheat village, Preah Vihear province.

Footnotes

Project Support Unit of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, Photos: UNDP Cambodia. Final editing & composition: Andrea Egan/UNDP.

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FootNotes

Project Support Unit of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, Photos: UNDP Cambodia. Final editing & composition: Andrea Egan/UNDP.

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No Water, No Life

Climate-proofing Agricultural Practices and Water Management in Rural Cambodia

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