IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2022) 13-1

Research article
erd

Perspective on Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in
Cambodia’s Capital: Phnom Penh
CHES SOPHY*
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
Email: sophy_ches257@yahoo.com

EIJI YAMAJI
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan

THOL DINA
Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Cambodia
Received 30 January 2022

Accepted 22 April 2022(*Corresponding Author)

Abstract Due to population growth and urbanization over two decades, Phnom Penh
Capital’s area has almost doubled from 375 square kilometer in 2001 to 692.46 square
kilometer in 2019. Meanwhile, the number of farmers declined from 36.77% of thepopulation in 2001 to 10% in 2015. Respecting these issues, the government of Cambodia
prepared the Land use master plan of Phnom Penh City 2035. However, no clear
implementation of the plan and the fast growth of construction have become the mainconcerns of international donors. Moreover, the integration of Phnom Penh with some areasof neighboring provinces will affect agricultural activities. Therefore, this research aims toascertain more details of agricultural land use in Phnom Penh by responding to the Master
Plan and to explain the current activities of urban agriculture or peri-urban agriculture in thecapital. Owing to the pandemic, this research was conducted by solely reviewing andanalyzing legal documents, reports from the government and donors, and other reliablesources. The Land use master plan clearly indicates the space reserved for the peri-urban
agricultural activities; however, there are no details regarding agricultural policy dealing
with the space reserved for peri-urban agriculture. The involvement of the Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is also not explained. Based on the reports from donorsand NGOs, lack of roles and responsibilities, limited capacity and limited finance havebecome the main concerns for the government regarding implementation of the Master Plan.
Importantly, current rapid growth of construction does not pay any attention to thedevelopment of city plans. Housing complex projects have increased from 77 in 2011 to178 projects in 2019. Some private businesses are practicing peri-urban agriculture on theoutskirts of the capital by growing, selling some vegetables, and providing the space for therelaxation.
Keywords urban agriculture, peri-urban agriculture, agricultural policies,
land use master plan

INTRODUCTION
Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is located in South-East Asia. All main activities including
economics, politics, culture and diplomacy are centered in the capital which has the highest densityof population 2,143,591 in 2021 based on the World Population Review. Phnom Penh covers thearea of 692.46 square kilometer; consisting of 14 districts. Currently, Phnom Penh has expanded byintegrating 20 other communes from neighboring province due to rapid population growth andurbanization. Back in 2001 Phnom Penh covered 375 square kilometers consisting of 70% forhuman settlement, 21% for agricultural activities, 8% covered by water, and remaining not in use(Em and Paule, 2005). The practice of urban agriculture did exist in the capital; however, thenumber of farmers declined from 36.77% of tge population in the capital in 2001 (Em and Paule,Ⓒ ISERD40IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2022) 13-12005) to only 10% in 2015 based on the World Bank Group on Urban Development in Phnom Penh(2017). With respect to rapid growth of urbanization and population, the Government of Cambodia
has prepared the Land use master plan of Phnom Penh City 2035. However, no clear
implementation of the plan and the fast growth of construction have become the main concerns ofinternational donors. Moreover, the integration of Phnom Penh with some areas of neighboring
provinces will affect agricultural activities. Therefore, this research aims to ascertain more detailsof agricultural land use in Phnom Penh by responding to the Master Plan; and to explain the current
activities of urban agriculture or peri-urban agriculture in the capital.
METHODOLOGY
Owing to the pandemic, the study was conducted by solely reviewing and analyzing legal
documents, reports from the government and donors, and other reliable sources.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Land Use Pattern in Phnom Penh
Official data on two new integrated districts (Kambo and Boeung Keng Kang) in Phnom Penh is
not available. Fig. 1 shows the administrative boundary of Phnom Penh with only 12 districts.
Among the 14 districts, Chraoy Chongvar, Dangkao, Kambo, Mean Chey, Praek Phnov, Pur
Senchey and Sensokh are considered to be the outskirt areas of the capital (Realestate, 2021).

Fig. 1 Phnom Penh administrative map
Urban Agriculture in Phnom Penh
Decades ago, according to Khmer (2007), most of people living in Phnom Penh did not practiceagricultural activities even despite of potential agricultural land. At that time, there were only a few
NGOs working on urban and peri-urban agriculture. At the present time, core areas of Phnom Penh
have been occupied by economic activities. Based on the data from Phnom Penh’s Department ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2019, some districts on the outskirts of Phnom Penh are usedfor growing rice and then for growing vegetables after the rice harvesting season.

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IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2022) 13-1

Table 1 Agricultural land in Phnom Penh
DistrictPraek Pnov
Chraoy Chongvar
Chbar Ampov
Saen SokhDangkao
Pur Senchey
Kambo

Rice Growing Area(ha)
1,409
152
6247
3,273
310
3,048

Ownership(ha)
1,372
75
6217
2,247
80
1,996

Rent
(ha)
3787301,026230
1,052

Source: Phnom Penh Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (2019)Land Use Master Plan for Phnom Penh Capital 2035
Because there is no clear land use pattern in Phnom Penh for the current situation and to deal withthe rapid growth of population and urbanization, the government of Cambodia has prepared theLand use master plan of Phnom Penh Capital 2035. The main objectives of the master plan are todevelop Phnom Penh to become a core center for development, an international standard city, areserve for the development of necessary physical infrastructure, a metropolitan city and a special
area for cultural heritage. Fig. 2 shows the map of the land use master plan of Phnom Penh capital
2035.
Protected Areas

LegendBuilding Density
Areas with high population density
Areas with high population, buildings along the roads
Areas with much urbanization
Areas with less urbanization

1. Natural and Agricultural Areas
Areas with low population density
Peri-urban Agriculture Areas
Joint Park Areas and Recreational Buildings
2. Archeological Areas
Archeological Areas
3. Protected River bank Areas
vulnerable river bank areas, urbanization and soft buildingsRoad Networks
60m-Width Belt Roads for traffic diversion
30-50m-Width Main Roads
20-30m-Width maind roads in Districts and communes
Main Axis and aligned plants
Transport and Goods

Public Building
Reserved land for big public buildings
Old ancient buildings
Economic Development Zones
PagodasDrainage System
Waste Water reseviors and biological purification areas
Waste water (drainage) canal systems needed to be established
Main Drainage systems
Secondary Drainage systems
Reserved Ponds

Goods Preparation zones and Warehouses
Train station, airports and ports
Ports for tourist ships or boats
Existing Railways
Administrative borders of Phnom Penh City
To-be-studied Areas
PolesPuPsPcPlPlaPaPePbPrPiPn

University Poles
Sport Poles
Cultural Poles
Pleasure Poles
Exposure tree planting areas and conservation
Administrative Poles
Environmental and Agricultural Poles
Business Poles
Research Poles
Advanced Industrial Poles
National Identifcation Demonstration Poles

GoodsLdLl
Lm
Lf
Lp
FnR

Landfill
Biological water purification ponds
Wholesale (Lump sum) Markets
Goods Areas
Goods Storing Areas
National Railway Stations
Bus Station

Fig. 2 Map of land use master plan of Phnom Penh capital 2035
Legend of the map was written in the Khmer language. The English-translated legend wasprovided next to the map. The second green symbol in the legend was used to indicate the spacereserved for the peri-urban agriculture in Phnom Penh Capital.
In order to make the land use master plan realized and vitalized, the Phnom Penh sustainable
city plan was designed to support the implementation of the Phnom Penh master plan for land use
2035. Fig. 3 shows the link between Land use master plan for Phnom Penh 2035 and the Phnom
Penh sustainable city plan 2018-2030.
After obtaining the details of both the land use master plan and the Phnom Penh sustainable
city plan, the study found that there is no clear explanation nor detail regarding the usage ofreserved spaces for peri-urban agriculture as mentioned clearly in the map (referred to Fig. 2).
Noticeably, there are also no details regarding the agricultural policies dealing with green spaces orspace reserved for peri-urban agriculture in the land use master plan. In addition, the involvementof the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) or other institutes is not mentioned
nor indicated.

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LAND USE MASTER PLAN FOR PHNOM PENH 2035

Vision: Phnom Penh is a competitive political, economic, business and cultural
center of Cambodia with sustainable and equitable development

URBAN TRANSPORT MASTER
PLAN 2035

PHNOM PENH MASTER PLAN
FOR DRAINAGE AND SEWRAGE
2035

Goal: To solve the current transport
problems/issues and support the 2035 Urban
Vision and Urban Structure

Goal: To improve sewerage treatment anddrainage management in the metropolitan areaof Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH SUSTAINABLE CITY PLAN 2018-2030
Vision: By 2030, Phnom Penh will become a clean, green and competitive city,
offering a safe and quality lifestyle to its residents.
Goals:- De-couple economic growth from environmental impacts- Increase social inclusion, reduce poverty levels, and improve urban welfare- Provide urban resilience for all citizens to natural, climatic and other risks- Ensure urban competitiveness and attractiveness to businesses

Fig. 3 Link between land use master plan for Phnom Penh 2035
and the Phnom Penh sustainable city plan 2018-2030
Source: Global Green Growth Institute (2019)

These challenges over the implementation of the master plan are a major concern. The WorldBank also shares this concern over the lack of roles and responsibilities for the implementation ofMaster Plan, limited capacity and limited finance (World Bank Group, 2017).
Responding to the rapid growth of housing construction and other building complexes overthe Phnom Penh Capital’s areas, the World Bank also has raised this matter in the report (WorldBank Group, 2017) and pointed out that this development in housing complex has neglected theLand use master plan; it seems that the real estate companies or construction companies do notfollow the land use pattern that has been determined in the Master Plan. The housing complex
projects have increased from 77 (Phnom Penh Capital Hall, 2011) to 178 projects in 2019 (ThePhnom Penh Post, 2019).
Regarding the matter mentioned above, there is also a concern over the process on providing
construction licenses to those real estate companies. All of these affect the land use pattern inPhnom Penh. It can be assumed that peri-urban agriculture has been affected by the rapid growth ofurbanization and construction in the capital.
Urban Agricultural Policies
All agricultural policies and administration are under the responsibilities of and managed by MAFF.
The overall goal of policy firmly focuses on increasing skills and knowledge, productivity,diversification, processing capacity, storage, distribution and marketing (Open Development
Cambodia, 2016). Referred to the same source, the government has aimed for agribusiness to makeup 30% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) by 2025.
To achieve the goals or aims set by the government, there are several main agricultural
policies established. Those policies are as follows:Ⓒ ISERD

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- Cambodia Industrial Development Policy 2015-2025: This policy prioritizes the agriculturaldevelopment as the key element. There are four prioritized developments to be achieved:
development of the agro-industry, development of small and medium enterprises, developmentof transport and logistics, and development of skills training and worker development.
- Agricultural Extension Policy: The main goal of this policy is to ensure that knowledge andtechnology will be accessible to farming communities in order to increase the productivity.
- Crop-Specific Policy: This policy consists of other two main policies: Policy on the Promotionof Paddy Production and Rice Export; and Cambodia Natural Rubber Development Strategy
2011-2020.
There is no specific policy on urban and peri-urban agriculture in the capital; also data onagricultural activities is very limited. It can be assumed that the government has turned theirattention to other main sectors that are currently growing very fast in the capital. However, there
are some newly developed recreational places or resorts run by private sectors. Those activities
include the growing of organic vegetables and fruit. The details will be explained below.
Urban and Peri-Urban Agricultural Activities
Urbanization and economic development in the capital have caused lifestyle changes. People livingin the capital spend their weekends with family at private resorts or recreational places on theoutskirts of the capital. Those resorts normally serve food and sell organic vegetables grown bythem.
One of the popular places in this sector in Phnom Penh is Amarak Farm also known as
Amarak Veggie Store, established in 2008, located at Koh Krobey Village, Prekthey Commune,
Chbar Ampoeu District. It is about a one-hour drive by car from central Phnom Penh.

Fig. 4 Location of Amarak Farm

Fig. 5 Vegetable cultivation at the farm

Source: www.amarakfarm.com; and www.google.com/map

Fig. 6 Location of Romdoul Reak Reay Farm

Fig. 7 Vegetable cultivation at the farm

Source: https://www.facebook.com/romdoulreakreay/photos/?ref=page_internal; and www.google.com/map

Based on the information on its homepage (www.amarakfarm.com), Amarak Veggie Store
grows various kinds of salad and lettuce, herbs and fruits. The harvest is sent to local markets inPhnom Penh to sell as fresh and organic products. Besides, the vegetable production, AmarakⒸ ISERD

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Veggie Store also provides other activities including camping, meeting places (or retreat centers),
wedding receptions, picnics and other outdoor activities because this farm occupies a large area.
Going far to the Northern part of the capital, there is another resort called Romdoul Reak Reay
Farm located in Chraoy Chongvar District. This farm occupies a large area, serves the food andgrows various vegetables to sell at their place. This farm started a few years ago before thepandemic. However, they have extended their activities and diversified the farm.
Urban and peri-urban agricultural practice is active in the capital. Currently, there are many
newly developed resorts or farms. However, there is no official data recorded about these activities.
CONCLUSION
During this transitional development of Phnom Penh due to rapid population growth andurbanization, Phnom Penh has expanded, and the construction of housing complexes and otherbuildings has increased. The government needs to pay more attention to implementing the plan tomake the Land use master plan of Phnom Penh vitalized. Even data on urban and peri-urban
agriculture in the capital is limited. Peri-urban agriculture in Phnom Penh Capital has been actively
practiced as part of resort activities in the outer or outskirt districts. From this viewpoint, without
proper implementation of the Land use master plan and management of the development ofconstruction, reserved spaces for peri-urban agriculture in Phnom Penh capital will be affected.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author is deeply grateful to Japanese KAKENHI project on comparative study on agriculturalland use and formation of land use order in urban fringe of Southeast Asian Countries forsupporting this study. Big thanks are given to Mr. Gordon Beal for kindly helping editing this paper.
REFERENCES
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