IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2010) 1–1

Invited article
erd

Establishment of RCE Greater Phnom Penh for Promoting
ESD in Cambodia
BUNTHAN NGO
Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Email: bunthan_rua@camnet.com.kh

MACHITO MIHARATokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, JapanLALITA SIRIWATTANANON
Association of Environmental and Rural Development, Pathum Thani, Thailand
Received 28 January 2010

Accepted 5 March 2010

Abstract Rapid development of agricultural technologies in Greater Phnom Penh hassignificantly increased agricultural production. The majority of farmers apply agriculturalchemicals. Agricultural chemicals released from farmlands to downstream cause various
environmental problems. So, the education for sustainable development (ESD) wasfocused on agricultural sector. Especially, the students in the elementary schools wereprioritized as they will become farmers in the future. Forming RCE is expected to increase
the opportunity to build the public awareness and perception of the importance of making
harmony between farming practices and natural environment. This report deals with thebackground of RCE Greater Phnom Penh in Cambodia and its challenges. One of thechallenges in the RCE is enhancing the food, agriculture and environment education forelementary schools through the organic farming activities at elementary schools and thefacilitator training of elementary school teachers under the collaboration among
government, university, local NGO and local community.
Keywords ESD-education for sustainable development, RCE-regional centre of expertise,
Phnom Penh

INTRODUCTIONA RCE is a network among formal, non-formal and informal education organizations, mobilized todeliver education for sustainable development (ESD) to local and regional communities. A networkof RCE provides the Global Learning Space for Sustainable Development. RCEs aim to achieve
the goals of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, DESD, from 2005 to 2014
by translating its global objectives into the context of the local communities in which locals operate.
A RCE is expected to involve all levels as school teachers, professors at higher education
institutions, environmental NGOs, scientists, researchers, governmental officers, representatives oflocal enterprises, volunteers, civil associations or individuals who work in the spheres ofsustainable development such as economic growth, social development and environmentalprotection. Also, it aims to collaborate among institutions at the regional or local level in a RCE forpromoting ESD jointly. Innovative platforms should be built for sharing information andexperiences and for promoting dialogue among regional or local stakeholders for sustainable
development. In addition, a local or regional knowledge base should be created to support ESD
actors (Mochizuki and Fadeeva, 2008; UNU-IAS).
This report deals with the background of RCE Greater Phnom Penh in Cambodia, that is thefirst RCE established in Cambodia, and its challenges in the education for sustainable development,ESD, focusing on the food, agriculture and environment education.

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TARGET AREA
Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia where more than 1.3 million people are living. Phnom
Penh covering an area of 290 square kilometers is located in the south-central region of Cambodia
at the confluence of the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Basac Rivers. These rivers provide potential
freshwater and other resources.
As shown in Fig. 1, Greater Phnom Penh covers not only Phnom Penh but also surrounding
provinces, such as Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kandal, Prey Veng andTako. The area and population of each province are summarized in Table 1. These provinces being
close to Phnom Penh have a strong relation in food demand-supply and economical aspect. Totalarea and population of Greater Phnom Penh is 34,641 square km and 7,250,881, respectively. Also
as shown in Table 2, more than 90% of population is in rural area in surrounding provinces,although 93% of population in Phnom Penh is in urban area.

GreaterPhnom Penh

Fig. 1 Location of Phnom Penh and Greater Phnom Penh
Table 1 Phnom Penh and surrounding provinces in Greater Phnom Penh
Name of province
123
4
5
6
7

Area (Square km)

Phnom Penh
Kampong Cham
Kampong Chhnang
Kampong Speu
KandalPrey Veng
Takeo
Total

290
9,799
5,521
7,017
3,568
4,883
3,563
34,641

Population
1,325,681
1,680,694
471,616
716,5171,265,085
947,357
843,9317,250,881

Remarkcapital

The economy in Greater Phnom Penh is based on agriculture. Agriculture is one of theimportant sectors of the Cambodian national economy. More than 70% of the total population in
Greater Phnom Penh is in the agricultural sector. Most of households in Greater Phnom Penh
depend on agriculture having the relation with sub-sectors such as livestock raising, fisheries oraquaculture for their livelihood. Agriculture produces a wide variety of crops in Greater PhnomPenh. However, the major crop is paddy rice. Agricultural sector remains unpredictability, because
it still depends on geographical and weather conditions.

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Table 2 Population in urban and rural areas in Phnom Penh and surrounding provinces
Name of province
123456
7

Population in urban
area (%)

Population in ruralarea (%)

Remark93
587950795
92939195100

capitalPhnom Penh
Kampong Cham
Kampong Chhnang
Kampong Speu
KandalPrey Veng
Takeo

Source: Commune Database 2004

REGIONAL CHALLENGES
Phnom Penh being the capital of Cambodia is the center of economic, industrial, commercial,cultural, tourist and historical aspects. Number of people living in Phnom Penh is rising every year.
Recently, rapid increase in population causes many problems in environment, life quality,education and health, etc. Although education is the key to develop the human resources, it is noteasy to improve education system, because of lacking teachers, school facilities and low income ofpeople.
A net admission ratio for elementary school is 93.3%, however a net enrollment ratio of lower
secondary school is 34.8% and of higher secondary school only 14.8% based on the education
statistics of MoEYS (2007/2008). Female students from rural areas or students from the poorfamily are all grossly underrepresented in education statistics. Big number of students who didn’t
continue to secondary schools starts working in agricultural sector.
In the provinces of Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kandal, Pray Vengand Takeo, the conditions of education are much insufficient for children comparing to that in
Phnom Penh. The parents in rural area need their children to work in the farmlands. The poverty offarmers (Table 3) is a barrier for children to continue their study at elementary or secondaryschools.
Table 3 Poverty rate based on population under poverty line
No.
123
4567

Name of province

Poverty rate (%)

Phnom Penh
Kampong Cham
Kampong Chhnang
Kampong Speu
KandalPrey Veng
Takeo

11.9
12.1
44.6
18.2
18.4
53.1
15.2

Source: WFP 2002

Agriculture plays an important role for economic growth with reducing poverty of the people.
Rapid development of agricultural technologies has significantly increased agricultural production.
Currently, the majority of farmers apply agricultural chemicals, such as chemical fertilizers,
herbicide or pesticide, to maintain high levels of crop yields. However, the overuse of agriculturalchemicals is damaging the long-term soil fertility and productivity of farmlands. Also, agriculturalchemicals released from farmlands to downstream cause the degradation of water environment.
This degradation is progressively accelerated with the transport of suspended substances caused bysoil erosion. It means that intensive farming practices depending on agricultural chemicals causevarious problems for natural environment and human health.
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Research institutes oruniversities
External advisorypanel

SocialEnvironmental

development

conservation

Sustainable development
Governmental

through the food,International or localorganizations

agriculture andNGOs

environmental education

Economic

Local schools

Local communities

growthFig. 2 RCE Greater Phnom Penh focusing on the food, agriculture andenvironment education
Accordingly, as regional challenges in the education for sustainable development (ESD), an
attention has been paid to sustainable processes for rural development. Although there are somefactors constituting sustainable rural development as economic growth, social development andenvironmental conservation, the food, agriculture and environment education was focused as a firststep for approaching sustainable rural development in the area of Greater Phnom Penh as shown in
Fig. 2. Especially, the students in the elementary schools were prioritized, as they will become
farmers in the future. So, one of current challenges in RCE Greater Phnom Penh is enhancing thefood, agriculture and environment education for elementary schools through the organic farming
activities at elementary schools and the facilitator training of elementary school teachers under thecollaboration among government, university, local NGO and local community.

Fig. 3 Food, agriculture and environment education through cultivating vegetablesat school organic gardens in Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham
ON-GOING ACTIVITIESThe program on the food, agriculture and environment education has been conducted since 2006
under the collaboration among government organizations, universities, local NGOs, local
communities and elementary schools in Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham. In the initial stage of© ISERD

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RCE Greater Phnom Penh, all organizations in RCE Greater Phnom Penh are also involved andcollaborate in the program. The contents of the program are as follows.
• To make a model for enhancing the food, agriculture and environment education forelementary schools in Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham through conducting seminars andpracticing organic farming at schools.
• To publish and distribute various textbooks or guidebooks written in Khmer.
• To conduct the training courses for depper perception on the food, agriculture andenvironment education under the collaboration among government, university, local NGO andlocal community.
• To hold the workshop or conference for illuminating various ESD activities conducted not
only in Cambodia but also in other countries.
• To construct the network among governments, universities, local NGOs, local communities,
elementary schools and so on for managing RCE Greater Phnom Penh.

Fig. 4 Food, agriculture and environment education through compostingand students’ activity report at elementary schools
RCE Greater Phnom Penh comprises member organizations from various fields with a wide
range of expertise which are engaged in ESD and its related activities. The stakeholder
organizations include Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) and Institute of Environment
Conservation and Rehabilitation, Cambodia Branch (CaM-ERECON), which work as coordinatorsof RCE Greater Phnom Penh in the Secretariat Committee, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, several
elementary schools in Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham and so on.
In addition, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Institute of Environment Conservation andRehabilitation and Association of Environmental and Rural Development are in the external
advisory panel of the RCE Greater Phnom Penh.
CONCLUSIONRCE Greater Phnom Penh is established to promote ESD through the food, agriculture andenvironment education for sustainable development in the area of Greater Phnom Penh. This is thefirst RCE established in Cambodia.
In a short term for 2-3 years after the establishment of RCE Greater Phnom Penh, the food,agriculture and environment education for elementary schools is focused as a challenge of the RCE.
Also, some conference or workshop is held in Phnom Penh regularly for promoting the discussion
or the sharing of ideas concerning sustainable processes for rural development. This conference orworkshop held in Phnom Penh is expected to increase not only the quality of educators but also thecollaboration among school teachers, professors at higher education institutions, facilitators at© ISERD

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environmental NGOs, scientists, researchers, governmental officers, representatives of local
enterprises, volunteers, media, civil associations or individuals.
In a long term after 2-3 years passed from the establishment of RCE Greater Phnom Penh, theactivities on the food, agriculture and environment education for elementary schools will beadvanced at other provinces in Greater Phnom Penh, in addition to the activities for localcommunities.
REFERENCES
Mochizuki, Y. and Fadeeva, Z. (2008) Regional centres of expertise on education for sustainable
development (RCEs), an overview. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 9-4,369-381.
MoEYS (2007/2008) Education statistics of MoEYS. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia.
WFP, MoP (2002) Estimation of poverty rates at commune level in Cambodia. World Food Programme,
United Nations, Ministry of Planning, Cambodia.
MoP (2004) Commune database 2004. Ministry of Planning, Cambodia.
UNU-IAS Regional centres of expertise (RCE) (http://www.ias.unu.edu/).

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