Islanders in rural Cambodia adapting to climate change
Kaoh Samraong is an island in the Mekong River in Cambodia, a home to 6,600 people, where extreme climate conditions have made everyday life very challenging.
During the rainy season, the roads got slippery and muddy and made access to schools or hospitals almost impossible. The changing climate made also farming very difficult, as crops were suffering, and farmers struggled to make an income.
The ‘Rural Roads Improvement Project’ funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Nordic Development Fund (NDF) and other partners was set off to find ways to support adaptation to climate change. One of the main initiatives was to build a solid road network across the island. The project has rehabilitated about 1031 km of rural roads in nine provinces in the country to paved condition. The provinces have a large population of people living in these rural areas in poverty.
“Good reforms have taken place. Especially the road. Before we used cows to transport goods to the market, which was slow and difficult. This new road has made it easier and improved our livelihood. Now, we have a small tractor to transport goods to the market. It is easy”, says Chhum Parch, a farmer who lives on the island.
The road has made the lives of the islanders much easier, especially for women. “When I was pregnant, the road was not there; I had to go to the hospital a week before giving birth. Today, there is no need for that, you can get to the hospital quickly”, says Heng Sola, a farmer who had difficulties accessing health care due to the bad roads in extreme weather conditions.
NDF has a crucial role in this project, as it is financing green planning activities that aim to increase the vegetation cover around the rural roads, which will increase water infiltration of the project areas and minimize erosion and flooding problems.
Dy Latt, a farmer from the area, appreciates the changes this project has brought to her family’s life. “The road brings many kinds of relief to me and my family. Children get to go to school and everywhere – it is a big difference from before”, she says.
Access to water is essential to make a living
It’s not only about the road. The project has also improved significantly the community’s access to water and is helping agriculture adapt to the impacts of climate change. Kaoh Samraong is an agricultural community and Mekong River as a vital resource for its population, including farmers. As the weather conditions have become extreme, access to water has become difficult, resulting in difficulties to grow crop and farmers to make their living.
The project introduced photovoltaic water pumps that raise irrigation water. Now, the fields are designed to produce in all seasons of the year, regardless of the water level. This enables farmers to produce more and get a stable income.
“Compared to the past, we can cultivate anything and anytime. We get income from our own land, we collect 30 to 40 kg of chili per day”, says farmer Heang Panha.
This joint project of NDF, ADB, Government of Cambodia, Government of Australia, Government of Korea and Agence Française de Développement has an estimated budget of USD 157.72 million.
Watch our videos and meet the people from Kaoh Samraong: