Adaptation Practitioners Days Promoting Resilience of Agriculture sector and Coastal Zone of Cambodia through LDCF resources Adaptation Practitioners Days Presented by SUM Thy Director of Climate Change Department Ministry of Environment , CAMBODIA

Cambodia’s vulnerability to climate change Cambodia  is  very  vulnerable  to  climate  change  due to: Low adaptive capacity  Cambodia's Economy is little diversified and depends heavily on a few sectors Most of Cambodians are living in rural areas and (to a certain extent) from low productive agriculture systems Cambodia's agriculture depends heavily on rice production (80% of total agric. production) – little diversification Most of rice fields are rain fed and depend on wet season rainfall Common property resources (food/income from forestry, fisheries) are important for poor people but affected by unsustainable use.

Climate Change Impact in Cambodia Flood: Between  (1987  to 2007), faced 12 serious floods that cause approximately 1,125 death and 327 Million dollars loses.   Droughts: Five extreme drought affected 6.5 miliion people and damaged 128 million dollars (SNC.2012).   The  most  recent  flood  in 2011  affected 1.5 millions  people,  killed  more  than  250  lives  and  caused  damages worth around 520 millions dollars (NCDM, 2011). GermanWatch rated Cambodia as second country among 10 most affected countries in the Climate Risk Index for 2011.  

The Cambodia’s National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate Change (NAPA) was completed in March 2005 and endorsed by the Royal Government of Cambodia in October 2006. Current status of NAPA implementation: "Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia“. “Vulnerability assessment and adaptation programme for climate change within coastal zone of Cambodia” “Strengthening the adaptive capacity and resilience of rural communities using micro watershed approaches to climate change and variability to attain sustainable food security”

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia The project began with a vulnerability reduction assessment (VRA) to understand sources of vulnerabilities for farmers and their needs for climate change adaptation.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia Rapid Gender Assessments (RGAs) was an important part of the VRA. The project team recognized various differential impacts of climate change on women and administered surveys targeting women and men separately. The survey included questions about their concerns and needs.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia The findings from RGAs were immediately reflected in the project design. For example, the project team now proactively reaches out to women to engage them in community water management activities and the project decided to establish women groups which act as a messenger of early warning information of floods and other climate risks.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia The results from the VRA are being used to achieve the first outcome of the project "Improved capacity within local institutions to manage agricultural water resources in a changing climate." To this end, the project also provides a platform to farmers and policy makers to exchange opinions and discuss climate change impacts on livelihoods.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia Enhanced understanding about sources of vulnerability and farmers ability to adapt to changing climatic conditions is a critical input for climate resilient Commune Council Plans and budgets. The project also provides trainings for Commune Council Committee members so that they can better understand and integrate climate risks into their development plans and budgets.

The second expected outcome of the project is to demonstrate locally appropriate adaptation options to reduce exposure to climate risks. Field testing of drought- and flood-resilient rice varieties is one of the key project activities. Special technical assistance is provided by the Cambodian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI).

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia The yield for IR 66 rice variety distributed reached an average yield of 3.25 tons which is 18% higher than traditional varieties. 26 tons of IR 66 rice seeds have been distributed to 793 families from 45 villages as of 2012.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia The project organizes events such as Farmer' Field School and Farmer' Field Days to showcase the result of demonstrations so that they can learn and apply new techniques in their fields.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia After demonstrations, farmers voted on their preferred rice variety so that the project can make the most voted rice variety available for farmers for the next farming season.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia The project also provides formal trainings on climate change and climate change resilient farming practices.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia On-farm water resource management and rehabilitation of irrigation canals are an important input to make agriculture in rural Cambodia more resilient to climate change impacts. This picture shows a tertiary distribution channel that is hardly serving its purpose, which is very common in rural Cambodia

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia Farmers are thoroughly consulted for their inputs to ensure usability and sustainability.

UNDP-GEF/LDCF: Promoting Climate-Resilient Water Management and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia Capturing the lessons from the project and disseminating them for replication is the third outcome of the project. This photo shows filming of a knowledge sharing session to be disseminated on national TV and radio programmes. The project also intends to use the global information sharing networks, such as the Adaptation Learning Mechanism, to facilitate cross-country sharing of lessons learned.

UNEP-GEF/LDCF: Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Programme for Climate Change within the Coastal Zone of Cambodia The UNEP/ LDCF project started with a Vulnerability and risk assessments for the coastal zone. The assessments are under way and the results of such assessments will facilitate the development of coastal vulnerability maps, which will aid in future planning and development within the coastal zone. Furthermore, the vulnerability maps will identify areas or communities within the coastal zone which are particularly vulnerable to projected climate change risks. Such maps can be used to earmark areas or communities to be priority recipients of future adaptation funding/efforts.

UNEP-GEF/LDCF: Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Programme for Climate Change within the Coastal Zone of Cambodia The project works with communities living in low lying areas along the coast impacted by floods and heavy winds. The photo shows the water gate and dyke to protect against floods and impacts of sea level. The dyke protects 10,000 ha of agriculture land. The LDCF project is expected to rehabilitate it so It can cope with future climate change impacts and build resilience in the communities.

UNEP-GEF/LDCF: Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Programme for Climate Change within the Coastal Zone of Cambodia Situation where dyke and agricultural land was flooded in 2009. As part of the project plans will be developed for rehabilitating part of the dyke. The area under concern is the most important rice growing area in the coastal area. As a pilot activity it is expected that 7 km of existing dykes will be rehabilitated beyond baseline measures in Ouk Okna Heng and Toul Tokoeng (Prey Nup District) to protect agricultural fields from increased flooding as a result of climate change. The inner dykes will be stabilised by planting of trees.

UNEP-GEF/LDCF: Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Programme for Climate Change within the Coastal Zone of Cambodia In Koh Kong extensive areas of the coastal area a covered with mangroves. The mangroves play an important function in relation to ecosystem based coastal adaptation. The project will rehabilitate areas of degraded mangrove forests in order to improve their efficacy as natural barriers to tropical cyclones, strong winds, SLR, storm surges and related flooding incidents. In so doing, the project will reduce the vulnerability of coastal infrastructure and rural communities to such threats.

UNEP-GEF/LDCF: Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Programme for Climate Change within the Coastal Zone of Cambodia Project funds will also be allocated towards identifying and piloting alternative livelihoods to reduce the pressure local communities place on natural ecosystems, such as mangrove forests. In so doing, current levels of ecosystem degradation are likely to be reduced, which will further improve the functioning of such ecosystems as natural barriers to increased incidences of tropical cyclones, strong winds, SLR, storm surges and flooding as a result of climate change. This photo shows the important mangrove forests in the demonstration sites under LDCF project funded as ecosystem based coastal adaptation for community livelihoods. This photo shows the important mangrove forests in the demonstration sites under LDCF project funded as ecosystem based coastal adaptation for community livelihoods.