WEPA International Forum and the Annual Meeting
Hanoi, Vietnam, 8-10 March 2010

Climate Change Impacts to theWater Environment andAdaptation Options in Cambodia
By CHEA Chan Thou
Ministry of Environment, Cambodia

Cambodia is vulnerable to climate change A Least developed agrarian country are facing many socialand economic development priorities,
 435 km coastline and low elevation of central plain, 80-85% of population are farmer and living in rural area ofthe central flood plains, Tropical diseases (malaria, dengue fever, etc.) with weak
health care system,
 Limited technical, financial and institutional resources foradaptation,
 Has lowest adaptive capacity compare to other SEAcountries, More severe and frequent floods and droughts haveoccurred in recent years.

Cambodia Efforts to Address ClimateChange December 1995 Cambodia ratified the UNFCCC,
 July 2002: Accession to the Kyoto Protocol,
 October 2002: Submission of the Initial National

Communication (INC) to the CoP 8,
 June 2003: Established a climate change office and 2009

promote to department of climate change, July 2003: Appointment of MoE as the Interim DesignatedNational Authority (iDNA) for CDM,
 April 2006: Establishment of the National Climate ChangeCommittee (NCCC), October 2006: Approval of the Cambodian NAPA,
 2007: Preparation of Second National Communication.

Impact of Global Warming onCambodia Climate
 This assessment was conducted in theINC by using two GCM models: CCSR &CSIRO, and two emission scenarios:
SRESA2 & SRESB1, showed that:¾ Cambodia’s temperature would increase up

to 1.35 - 2.50C in 2100.
¾ Annual rainfall would increase between 3

and 35% from current condition and lowland
areas seem to be more affected than highland areas.

Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture
Based on the past 5 years data (1996-20000), rice production loss
occurred mainly due to the occurrence of flood (>70%), drought (~20%)
and others such as pest & disease (~10%)

Contribution toProduction Loss (%)

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
100
Flood

DroughtOthers Flood and drought were not always associated with the ENSO events,

flood mostly occurred due to the increase of water level of MekongRiver and Tonle Sap Lake.

Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Zone
 In Koh Kong province(1,160 km2 ), if 1m sea
level rise, about 0.4%
(4,444 ha) will be underwater;
 The rainfall of 4 mainriver basins of Koh Kong
will increase between 2%
and 15%, so increasewater flow 2-10m3/s.

6. National Adaptation Program of Action toClimate Change (NAPA)• 2003 -2005 and endorsed by theGovernment of Cambodia in October
2006, aims to develop a realisticallyachievable country- driven programof action and priority activities
addressing the urgent and immediateneeds and concerns of the country foradaptation to climate change in 4 keysectors: agriculture, water resources,coastal zone, human health.

NAPA Field Survey•

About 1,000 respondents from households, local
authorities and NGOs in 42 communes of 17provinces•

To understand the main characteristics of climate
hazards in Cambodia•

To understand coping mechanisms at thegrassroots level•

To identify adaptation activities to climate
hazards and climate change

B. Summary of Field Survey Analysis

PhnSi om
ha P
no e
uk nhKPr g vea . S ille
Ra h V peta ih u
M na ea
on k rd u K irlK iKg Kan iri
St . du n Ch alg am
TrSv K eng
ay ra
P r R t ie
ey ie
Ve ng
K g Ta n g
Si . T keo
Ba em homB. tta R e
M mb ap
ea an
nc gKgh. C Pu e yhh rsat
Ka na nKo m gh po
Ko tngFlood Score

Level of Vulnerability to Floods by Provinces
1086420

Phn
Si om
ha P
no euk nh
KPr g vea . S ille
Ra h V peta ih u
M na ea
on k rd u K ir
lK iKg Kan iriSt . du n Ch a lg am
TrSv K eng
ay ra
P r R t ie
ey ienVe g
K g Ta n g
Si . T keo
Ba em ho m
B. tta R e
M mb ap
ea annc gKg
heP.C u yhh rsat
Ka na nKo m gh po
Ko tngDrought Score

Level of Vulnerability to Droughts by Provinces
1086420

Natural Hazards Characteristics

Proportion of Respond

10.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0FloodDroughtWindStormSea Water High TideIntrusion

Proportion of respondents on type of climatic hazards affecting themWater Supply
Source of water
for agriculture indry season

Source of water forhousehold in dryseason

Proposed Adaptation Projects
By sector:

By climate hazard:¾ Cross-sectoral: 5 projects¾ Flood: 5 projects¾ Drought: 9 projects¾ Malaria: 6¾ Coastal protection: 3projects¾ Multiple climate hazards:16
projects¾ Water resources/agriculture:
20 projects¾ Coastal zone: 8 projects¾ Human health (Malaria): 6projects

Total 39 proposed projects with US$ 196,350,00, of which
20 are high priority (US$128,850,000)

Some adaptation projects related to water
under NAPA
• Development and improvement of community irrigationsystems• Water gates and water culverts construction• Safer water supply for rural communities• Development and rehabilitation of flood protection dikes• Rehabilitation of dams in Takeo and Kampong Speu
province• Construction of community water reservoirs• Water supply for households• Development and rehabilitation of irrigation systems• Rehabilitation of coastal protection infrastructure• Community agro-forestry in deforested watersheds.

7. Assessment in the SNC: Climate-Vulnerability Indexfor AgricultureBattambang

The mostvulnerable
province•

PreyVeng

CVI-1111 means the province has low level of vulnerability (Category 1),
has low flood (Category 1) and drought (Category 1) experience and low
forest cover (Category 1)

Vulnerable sub-sector in Agriculture to climate
hazards
Based on Survey at Prey Veng, the most vulnerable
province
to climatesector
hazards,
rice farming is the most
The most vulnerable
to flood
vulnerable sub-sector to climate hazards
21%
33%

Lowland rice

Lowland rice

Dryland Agric

Dryland Agric

Husbandry

Husbandry
Fisheries

Fisheries

10%

Drinking Water
1%
2%
3%

63%

0%

Drinking Water
65%

OthersOthers0%2%

Flood0%Drought

Based on interview with 417 respondents

Rice contribute toabout 80% of
total agriculturecommodities
production

Farmers perception on change in drought
and flood severity?
No change
1%
Increasing
5%

Can not answer
1%

Yes
38%

Decreasing
48%

More Irregular46%

Flood frequency and intensity

No61%

Drought severity increase?

Based on Survey at Prey Veng Province , 2009

Key message• Under high emission scenarios (SRESA2)– DS rainfalls DJF and MAM will decrease with high probability
and WS JJA and SON rainfall may increase but with lower
probability than the DS rainfall. This suggests that the onset ofrainy season may delay in the future under this emission
scenario.
– WS rainfall DJF will decrease until 2025 and then increase again
in 2050 and 2080

• Under low emission scenarios (SRESB1)– Similar with SRESA2 DS rainfall will increase but with lower
probability.
– Different with SRESA2, WS rainfall DJF will increase in 2025
and then decrease again in 2050 and 2080

• Global community achievement in reducing GHGemission will have different implication on Cambodia•Meapat sures• Im tern fo : Adju
• Im prove llowin st theg thcroc roproppipev
edmirrig
cnlia• Pr ation irriga nage mate g
tio
fore
mov
e
cas
alte ide m fficien n facil ent
t
io
rna
c
ty a
tive re op yndeco portu
nomn• Seic a ity forctivt
ities
field up polifun to oth cy to b
• Ex ding, er us an coinespnvuln and th suranc , stan versiono• M erab e rice e sys d byf ric
le aaintemger
tow inthe ain a reas
• D upstr nd in , new g area
iverc reease varieti s to lesify amss
foofore esdc
st c
ons
oveum
r inption•Dev
vuln elop ne
whe erable w irrig
incr never rice p ation
fare
pro asing possib oducti cility• In ductiv plan le to on ce inallo
tingterntrew
bas ity
inarefordex
in tasranandsfer

Example: Horizon Plan for Adaptation

20052010
2015
2020
2025
2030

Thank You!

www.camclimate.org.kh
Mr. CHEA Chan Thouchanthouchea@yahoo.com