Sustainable lives for 375 women in rural Cambodia

Climate Change impacts are affecting Cambodians especially the rural people who rely on agriculture to make their living. Some evidence about climate change are the shift in calendars of rainy and dry seasons, increase in heat (up to 40 degree Celsius which the country has never experienced before), and the Mekong river water has seen its lowest depth. Some places are facing drought earlier than in previous years.

To begin with, in January, CRDT team in Stung Treng conducted a Vulnerability Reduction Assessment (VRA) with 29 people including 12 women from Koh Preah commune. The workshop lasted for one whole day and covered the following main topics:

1. Awareness raising session: covered the concept of climate change, its impacts, mitigation and adaptation methods
2. The VRA process: to find out the history of hazards and natural disasters in the past 30 years, the impacts on their lives, coping mechanisms in the past, challenges, and proposed solutions in the future

Mr. Bunheng, CRDT Project Manager in Stung Treng said “ after the workshop, we found that drought is the most hazardous problem that causes four main climate change impacts on the local communities: 1) low crop yield, 2) loss of income and capital, 3) human diseases 4) death of animals. The local people proposed solutions around water, agricultural techniques, finance and information.”

In response, CRDT set its strategic plans in 2016 to cope with the problems of climate change by focusing on building more irrigation systems, promoting innovations in water resource management, climate smart agriculture and promoting resilience of local communities by introducing more options of income sources.

The work of CRDT could not happen without the support from individuals like you. Please kindly consider giving to https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sustainable-lives-for-375-women-in-rural-cambodia/

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Links:

• About Cambodian Rural Development Team
• CRDT Facebook Page