IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CAMBODIA

FORUM ON THE CURRENT CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

By : Tek VannaraDate : July 5, 2011, Quezon City, Philippines

Balay Kalinaw Conference Hall, University of the Philippines, Diliman,Quezon City

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

CONTENTS

1. Overview of Cambodia2. Cambodia’s people livelihood3. Climate Change in SEA & Cambodia4. Climate Change Impacts on Cambodia5. Conclusion

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

1. Overview of Cambodia

Territory: 181,035 sq. km Population: 13.4 million Rural Population: 80.5 percent GDP: US$ 739 per capita Literacy Rate: 77.6 Percent = Male: 85.1%, Female: 70.9%

Source: Census 2008

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

4

THE LIVELIHOOD CYCLE OF CAMBODIA’

S RURAL PEOPLE

Rice field, Home garden, River fishing, Forestry & Non Timber Forestry are also exchange by season

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

2. CAMBODIA’S PEOPLE LIVELIHOOD

MAIN LIVELHOOD OCCUPATION OF CAMBODIAN

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

People depend on fishery resources of Tonesap and Mekong rivers

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

Mekong fishery resources

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

Mekong fishery resources

Forestry Resources is our lifeForestry Resources is our lifeCEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

Animal husbandry and local fruit production

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

People depend on

80% of Cambodia’s people depend on agriculture, fishery, forestry and river resources as the main occupations.

Importance of fish product & income to Cambodia 290,000t-430,000t US$250-500 million dollar per year Contribute 75% of the protein to Cambodian

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

3. Climate Change in SE Asia and Cambodia

© Water & Climate change in Lower Mekong Basin Project / Helsinki University of Technology & SEA START Regional Center http://users.tkk.fi/u/mkummu/water&cc/

Climate scenario used: ECHAM4 A2

Temperature increaseFigure: Projection of average daily maximum temperature (1980s – 2090s)

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

© Lay Kim-UNDP & Water & Climate change in Lower Mekong Basin Project / Helsinki University of Technology & SEA START Regional Center http://users.tkk.fi/u/mkummu/water&cc/

Climate scenario used: ECHAM4 A2

Changes in precipitation patterns – erratic, unpredictable

Figure: Annual precipitation in the 1980s and future change in % (decadal average: 1980s – 2090s)

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

Vulnerability to climate change

Source: Lay Kim-UNDP & Reproduced with permission from EEPSEA. Vulnerability as composite of exposure to climatic hazards, sensitivity to the hazards, and adaptive capacity

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association

Cambodia Cambodia’s temperature would increase up

to 1.35 - 2.50C in 2100 Annual rainfall would increase between 3 and

35% from current condition; lowland areas seem to be more affected than highland areas (Source: Lay Kim-UNDP & First V&A Assessment: with two Global Circulation Models (GCM) : CCSR & CSIRO, and two emission scenarios: SRESA2 & SRESB1)

Cambodia mean annual temperature anomaly

Source: Oxford University (2008)

CEPA

Culture and Environment Preservation Association