The European Union (EU) today committed 4.95 million EUR (over USD 6 million) to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to boost its efforts in responding to the region’s climate change challenges.

Frequent flooding in the Kandal province means that farms are often destroyed and livelihoods are compromised. As a result, the community was more than happy to roll up its sleeves and contribute to the rehabilitation effort and prevent future damage from flooding.

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, 18 September 2012—Over 100 hydrologists and other water experts gathered in this historical town for a two-day regional symposium to discuss lessons learned and ways forward in sharing and using real-time hydro-meteorological data in the Mekong region.

The government of Cambodia has awarded a medal to Caritas Cambodia and to supporting Caritas members who responded to severe flooding in 2011. The medal will be given to Caritas by the country’s prime minister.

Caritas provided food and emergency items to thousands of people when floods struck in October 2011. Caritas has also implemented Disaster Risk Reduction programs to help people avoid the loss of life and property during future natural disasters.

Farmers in the small community of Tuol Sdey, in the Svay Rieng province of southeastern Cambodia, have reason to be happy. For the first time in decades they can rejoice in having two harvests in one season.

This is largely due to the construction of a new water dam which stores rain in a nearby reservoir, providing farmers with the necessary water supply to irrigate their farmland and produce greater rice yields.

Highlights

• 80% of Cambodia’s population live in rural areas, vulnerable to floods, droughts and other weather-related disasters

By Brigitte Leoni

SREY SNAM, 26 April - Nineteen year old Ien Sophorn heads a children's council in Cambodia that works with the Srey Snam District Disaster Management Committee to raise awareness on climate change adaptation.

"Since the beginning of the programme we have been planting trees, acting out scenarios to alert our communities about disaster risks and requesting more wells to get clean water when our villages are flooded. We have a complete plan of action and we actively participate in disaster management processes," she said.

(Bangkok/New York, 23 March 2012): The investment by Southeast Asian countries in building their national capacities to manage disasters more effectively is changing disaster response dynamics in the region.

Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator has just completed a four country visit to Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand to discuss with governments and their national disaster response agencies recent experiences in disaster management.

This report covers the period 1 July 2011 to 30 October 2011.

In brief

Programme outcome In line with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Strategy 2020 and Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) vision and goals in its own Strategic Plan 2011-2020, the IFRC country office in Cambodia supports CRC in “doing more, doing better and reaching further”.

Programme summary

The current floods in Cambodia, which have affected more than 50,000 families and destroyed 20,000 hectares of crops, or even tropical storm 12-E in Nicaragua, which has caused floods, landslides, considerable destruction of housing, social and economic infrastructure and massive population displacements, are two recent examples of little known humanitarian emergencies. Such crises have not mobilized much, but ACTED still intends to deliver a response.