BACKGROUND

Located in mainland Southeast Asia, Cambodia is bordered by Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has a coastal region on the Gulf of Thailand. It has a tropical climate with high temperatures and two distinct seasons; a rainy monsoon season and a cooler, dry season. The monsoon season tyucally lasts from May to October. The monsoon season will vary depending on the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Generally, El Niño will bring drier and warmer temperatures, while La Niña will bring cooler temperatures across the Southeast Asian region.

Along with the Philippines, Cambodia is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the region, alongside the Philippines. It is likely to be affected by droughts, water scarcity, extreme flooding, mudslides, landslide, and destructive stroms. Floods also frequently occur alongside the Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake. The coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and tropical storms. A majority of the population lives in rural areas, but the country is rapidly urbanizing. The population relies heavily on agriculture and fisheries for livelihoods, employing almost half of the country’s labor force. Cambodia is reliant on resource-dependent sectors for economic growth, including agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and forestry, making it highly vulnerable to climate variations in the future.

Most recently, the 2022 rainy season has affected thousands of people. Days of continuous rain in August 2022, resulting in flooding in 16 provinces which impacted 3,000 families.

INFORM RISK INDEX (2022)    

Hazard and exposure: 3.9  |  Vulnerability: 4.0  |  Lack of coping capacity: 6.1  |  Total: 4.6 (medium)  |  Rank: 57

HAZARDS COVERED BY ANTICIPATION    

Drought | Flash Floods | Riverine Floods

EXPERIENCE ON ANTICIPATION 

• FAO and WFP are actively developing anticipatory actions to mitigate the impacts of flooding and drought in Cambodia.
• In 2022, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) launched the Framework on Anticipatory Action in Disaster Management at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Bali, Indonesia. It represents a proactive step for anticipatory action in the region. The ASEAN countries included in the framework are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.