Climate-Proof Integrated Rural Community Development in Kampong Thom Province

Cambodia is considered among the world’s most affected countries by natural hazards and climate change. More than 90% of the country’s poor live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their food and income activities. In this sense, climate change is a major threat to rural people. For reducing the vulnerability and impacts from climate change, adaptive capacity and resilience system in the communities are required. This project “Climate-Proof Integrated Rural Community Development in Kampong Thom Province” will be a joint effort between Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) and Caritas Cambodia. 

The huge losses in terms of human death, physical infrastructures, agricultural yields, and livestock may be an indicator that households and local communities are no longer being resilient to floods. Moreover, many rural facilities such as road networks and domestic water supply are damaged by seasonal floods (flash flood and river flood). The damage of rural facilities are the consequence of insufficient information on climate change available for community’s planners, MRD provincial staffs, and engineers who design infrastructure projects (rural road and rural water supply). 

To improve standards and sustainable development of rural infrastructures for the hazard-affected communities against current and future climate change impacts through the integration of various interventions.

• Integration of climate change issues into annual action plans at national, provincial, district and commune levels that help to reduce vulnerability of rural people;
• A standardized guideline is formulated for officially using to improve rural infrastructures for reducing impacts from climate change;
• Capacity building for civil engineers in relation to climate proofing rural infrastructure, construction and maintenance;
• Awareness is an important element to improve knowledge and make behavior changed of the local people;
• A strong network and partnership engaging all key stakeholders (i.e., Ministry of Rural Development, Provincial Department of Rural Development, Commune Councils, Village Development Committees, Caritas Cambodia, NGOs and people) is built up;
• Public infrastructures such as wells, latrines and rain water collectors help to reduce impact from flood and drought;
• A single M&E system is established to track the progress and evaluate the effectiveness of the project.

Kampong Thom Province: Kampong Svay district

• 50% of MRD officers from national to sub-national levels working in Kampong Thom Province
• 9286 households living in target areas.

The target groups will be identified based on the result of vulnerability mapping and feasibility studies. MRD and Caritas will work closely with vulnerable groups and all related stakeholders through provision of several social services and infrastructures including construction of climate resilient Water Supply and Sanitation (WATSAN) facilities in school/health center, houses resilient to climate change and income generation activities. Capacity building and awareness raising will also be provided.