CAMBODIAI.

Natural hazards in Cambodia

1.1

Natural hazards likely to affect the country
Flood, drought, epidemic, famine,

1.2

Recent major disasters

year
2000
2001
2002
2005
2001
2002

dis_type dis_subset
FL
Flood
FL
Flood
FL
Flood
DR
Drought
DR
Drought
DR
Drought

people_affected total_dam (US 000s)
3448053
100000166918215000－1470000―
600000―30000065000038000

Source: "EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database,www.em-dat.net - Université catholique de Louvain - Brussels Belgium"
During the floods in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and the drought in 2004, it
was recognized that government leadership and actions taken byprovincial Governors were crucial in the mobilization of resources torespond to urgent needs. There have been noticeable successes, such as
reduction in mortality rates, decrease in damages, and improvement offlood resistant public infrastructure, and social services under theprojects of flood rehabilitation and rural development.
In the context of flood mitigation and based on flood impacts in 2000, theGovernment has adopted both non-structural and structural measuresthat are implemented by concerned ministries and agencies i.e. as nonstructural measures, the building code has been drafted andrecommended for further construction of road, bridges, school buildings,
health centers with a new standard compared with flood level of 2000.
Government directives have been issued to all ministries, provinces andpublic for implementation to contribute to the loss of properties free fromflood threat. Meanwhile, the Government through a national developed
plan for flood mitigation purpose has adopted structural measures.
National rods number 1, 5, 6, 7, 11 and provincial roads have beenrehabilitated and developed. More large bridges and waterways are
erected to discharge the floodwater as quickly as possible so as lives andproperties are kept free from devastation. Protecting dikes aroundPhnom Penh capital, around three eastern provincial towns (Prey Veng,Kompong Cham and Kratie) have been erected and yearly maintained toensure safety during the seasoning flood. Diverted water canal, West ofPhnom Penh, has been erected to mitigate the possible flash flood fromthe mountainous region and to store water for supplying rice crop in theSource: UN/ISDR Country Reportprone drought affected areas. Through this project implementation, Bio –Diversity Echo System and natural environment preservation arepromoted and contribute to Poverty Eradication Strategy of theGovernment. Selected safe areas have been recommended to be installedin high ground throughout target provinces in order to receive flood
victims evacuated from flooded areas, and set up a systematicmanagement to ensure the security, food supplies, water and sanitationof the evacuated people. Mobile houses have been deployed in all safe
areas and managed by the armed forces.
II.

Disaster management system

2.1 Administrative systemConventional long form:
Kingdom of Cambodia
Conventional short form: Cambodia
Government type:multiparty democracy under a constitutionalmonarchy
Capital:Phnom Penh
Administrative divisions: 20 provinces (khaitt, singular and plural) and4 municipalities (krong, singular and plural)
2.2 Legal systems and national policy on DM
Sub-decree No. 35 ANK has been a core principle for disastermanagement in Cambodia, creating the National Committee for Disaster
Management.
Cambodia has neither national policy nor law on disaster management.
The proposed policy had undergone three revisions since it was first
discussed in 1997, but is yet to be approved by the Council of Ministers
and signed as an official document by the Prime Minister. The ability of
the Government Ministries, provincial and district leadership to provide
effective civil services, particularly in relation to disaster management
activities is constrained due to inadequate understanding of specificroles and responsibilities, lack of clarity in “lines of communications” andcriteria for decision making, planning, and implementing.
2.3 Structure of disaster management
All Ministers and Institutions concerned shall collaborate closely with
NCDM when necessary in an emergency situation. In addition, NCDM
shall adopt the Cambodian Red Cross as its main partner to jointly
conduct relief operations in times of disasters. NCDM has a General
Secretariat that acts as an implementing unit within NCDM
Headquarters in order to provide advice to the Royal Government on DMissues. There shall also be CDM Structures at the Provincial/Municipal
and District Levels.

Source: UN/ISDR Country Report2.4 Priorities on disaster risk management
COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Flood rehabilitation program Its objective is “to rehabilitate an economicand social infrastructure, while also indirectly supporting recovery inrural production and incomes.
Local based project on rural disaster management "The Community SelfReliance and Flood Risk Reduction Project", a Technical Assistance (TA)
Project that supports the Royal Government of Cambodia in increasing
community self-reliance in recurrent flood disasters.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Preparedness aside from the yearly small allocation of rice, fuel and cashto NCDM operations, including training.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM
NCDM efforts on the development and installation of a NationalDisaster Damage and Needs Assessment System. The UN-DMT, with thesupport from the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF, provided forthe development of such a system. Key success factors include
coordinated actions, high level leadership, and participation ofcommunities before-during- and after disasters.
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EARLY WARNING
Orientation field visits to flood-prone provinces to disseminate new Subdecree and Circulars by H.E. Nhim Vanda and senior staff of NCDM areconducted every May of the year. Discussion of the Circular and the newSub-decree with various government ministries were also separatelyconducted. The two circulars were renewed which now include thevalidation and mandate by Prime Minister to be the legitimated legal
based documents for disaster preparedness actions.
With limited capacity, system and procedures of information
management and reporting system, NCDM is using spreadsheets fordata collection and storage. NCDM relies on information collected by
local authorities using spreadsheets and fax based on actual occurrenceof flood and drought.
COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION
In addition, NCDM provides a coordinating role in establishing andimplementing community based disaster preparedness programs withNGOs.
URGENT PRIORITY ACTION:Development of a Strategy for RGC’s National Committee for Disaster
ManagementSource: UN/ISDR Country Report

III.

Disaster Management Plan

National Emergency Management Plan
The Secretariats at the national, provincial, and municipal levels mustcooperate closely with the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) at all levels ofplanning and in emergency management. In times of emergency, NCDM
General Secretariat shall collaborate with the provincial/municipal CDM
and CRC to draw specific operational plans, according to existing
guidelines. The plans must be sent urgently to NCDM General
Secretariat after they are approved at the provincial and municipallevels.
A.
First Sub-national Level
At the provincial and municipal levels, there shall be CDMs establishedwith:
1. The provincial/municipal Governor as coordinator and President;
2. The first Deputy Governor as Vice President;
3. The Chiefs of each relevant government Department as members.
B.
Second Sub-national Levels
At the District (Commune and Village) levels, CDM shall be establishedwith the District Governor as President, the first deputy as VicePresident and members from all government Ministries, Departments,Bureaus, Corporations, Authorities and Agencies as members.
Organization of emergency operations in all administrative subdivisions
are as follows:
1. municipalities, there is hereby constituted a municipal CDM with theGovernor as coordinator, and Police Superintendent as Deputy
Coordinator, composed of all municipal officials, and national officials
assigned at the municipal level. The Committee shall establish theMunicipal Emergency Coordination Centre (MECC).
2. At the provincial level, a Provincial CDM shall likewise be
constituted with the Governor as coordinator, with the provincial
Police Superintendent as the Deputy Coordinator.
3. At the District, (Commune and Village) level, the provincial CDM
may chose to constitute a CDM. The decision to establish a CDM at
this level depends on an assessment of actual need, availability ofresources and capacity for supervision and support by the Province.
C.

General Tasks of Committees for DM
1. Collaborate with other national institutions on training provincial
and municipal Committee members and to disseminate essential
information to the public;
2. Undertake damage and needs assessments;
3. Prepare programs for rehabilitation and reconstruction;Source: UN/ISDR Country Report

4. Coordinate work with other related institutions, internationalorganizations and NGOs;
5. Undertake hazard assessments and vulnerability analyses
6. Plan for emergency relief
7. Provide early warning and other information to the public ofpotential hazards
8. Coordinate with institutions, organizations and CRC in order tocreate communication networks between the National Committee
and the Provincial and Municipal Committees
9. Ministries, Department, Bureaus, Corporations, Authorities andAgencies coordinate the activities of institutions, organizations
and the CRC with various provincial and municipal Committees
10. Coordinate activities with institutions, organizations and the CRC
with respect to providing evacuation, protective shelter, security ,establishing a public awareness program with regard to being
prepared for disasters, and preparing other programs;
11. Issues interim reports and final reports for each declared
emergency and disaster that include recommendations for changes
in national policy and practice.
IV.

Budget size on national level

Funds for DM are indicated under the emergency relief fund: relief
operations, medical assistance and immediate repair of damagedinfrastructure to be undertaken by MOSALVY, MOH, MPWT or MND.
NCDM may instruct DBM to allocate funds from the Emergency Relief
Fund based on existing guidelines. Other sources of DM funds: Foreignassistance, funds from respective agencies
V.

Progress and situations of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)

VI.

Projects on disaster reduction headed by your Ministry

VII.

Counterpart of ADRCThe National Committee for Disaster Management Royal
Government of Cambodia
274 Monivong Boulevard, Phnom Penh

Source: UN/ISDR Country Report