19 August 2024

According to Dr Hak Mao (Director, Department of Climate Change) and Mr Sem Savuth (Vice Chief, Climate Change Information Management, Department of Climate Change), 44% of all communes in Cambodia are vulnerable to the increasing frequency and intensity of flood, drought, and storm due to climate change. By 2050, when sea-level rise is projected to reach 1,302mm, about 242km2 of coastal areas in Cambodia will be inundated, resulting to an estimated economic loss of USD304 million. If the government does not offer additional action to combat the impacts of climate change, the planned GDP for 2050 will be 10% lower.

When this information was presented at the 3rd Webinar series on Climate Change Projection for Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia-Pacific Region on 19 August 2024, panelists and participants were interested to know about climate change countermeasures as well as the challenges in Cambodia. In response, Dr Mao and Mr Savuth said that like other countries in the region, Cambodia enacted policies and regulations to adapt to climate change and mitigate its impacts. Some of the climate change countermeasures are aimed at: i) increasing the current 62% usage of renewable energy to 70% by 2030; ii) ensuring that 70% of motorcycles and 40% of cars are EVs by 2050; and iii) planting of one million trees annually until 2050 to achieve 60% forest cover. The main challenge, however, is that these are broad actions that don't project specific impacts caused by climate-related disasters, such as extreme flood or storm. In order to do this, downscaled climate data is essential. Currently, historical climate data in Cambodia is sparse. This problem is compounded by limited tools and technologies within the government to measure the impacts or to make accurate projections of climate change.

In view of these concerns, other panelists introduced some of the initiatives and tools for climate change projection that may complement the ongoing climate actions in Cambodia. Prof. MORI Nobuhito (Research Division of Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Disasters, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University) introduced the SENTAN Program, and the potential collaboration with Cambodia, for assessing the effects of extreme water-related events and analysing the changes of hazards with rising global surface temperature as downscaled to countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr NAKAEGAWA Toshiyuki (Head of Second Laboratory, Department of Applied Meteorology Research, Meteorological Research Institute of Japan Meteorological Agency) introduced tools using high-resolution models and supercomputers to project a future climate at the local level. Dr MURATA Akihiko (Head of First Laboratory, Department of Applied Meteorology Research, Meteorological Research Institute of Japan Meteorological Agency) introduced tools and methods for dynamical downscaling to simulate localised climate change. Mr MORI Noriyuki (Deputy Director, International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management) introduced a comprehensive platform on water resilience and disasters that includes data-integration for hazard, damage, and socioeconomic factors. On this platform, various agencies provide their respective climate data for integration in order to effectively forecast the impacts and provide early warning to communities-at-risk.

In his closing remarks, Prof. TACHIKAWA Yasuto (Hydrology and Water Resources Research Laboratory, Kyoto University) emphasised the potential contributions of SENTAN Program (e.g., tools, technologies, and datasets) to climate change countermeasures that countries in Asia-Pacific region are undertaking. He hoped that the webinar will foster greater collaboration between SENTAN Program and Cambodia.

(2024/08/26 15:00)

9-10 May 2011 (Cambodia)

The ADRC attended the 22st meeting of sub-committee on space technology and applications (SCOSA) held from 9th  to 10th  May 2011 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Various organizations in ASEAN countries which are related to the space technology attended this meeting in order to discuss on-going and future projects by SCOSA and other relevant. .
For the last two year the ADRC has been implementing "Satellite Data Utilization for Disaster Risk Reduction and Response" funded by Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). Eight ASEAN countries, namely, Indonesia, Philippines, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei Darussalam are the target countries of the project.
In this meeting, ADRC made a progress report on the project.
ADRC is currency producing materials to be used at planned seminars and trainings in each ASEAN country.
For more details of this project, please look at the following site; http://www.geoinfo.ait.ac.th/adrc/index.htm

2011/6/2 13;20

17-23 October, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) conducted the program "Capacity Building of Utilization of Satellite Image for Disaster Management" in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 17th to 23rd October, in cooperation with Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).
This program consists of one-day seminar and five- day training, both to promote the utilization of space based technology. Especially the theme of this project in Cambodia was the drought. It was held in collaboration with Ministry of Land management, Urban Planning & Construction, Department of Geography in Cambodia.
This is one of the four capacity development programs in ASEAN countries that ADRC has been implementing since 2008, with other three including disaster education promotion, development of Web-based GLIDE-associated disaster database and capacity building of local government officials.
Satellite Images has been utilized to implement emergency activities in Cambodia. However, the experience of the engineers for utilization of the satellite data in these countries is insufficient. The capacity building of engineers in relevant fields is an urgent need.
ADRC will continue to cooperate with Department of Geography and other relevant agencies to further promote the utilization of satellite data in the field of disaster management. ADRC also plans to conduct this program in other ASEAN countries.
For more details of this project, please visit ADRC web site (http://www.adrc.asia/top_j.php).

2010/10/25 13:20

January - February 2010 (Cambodia)

Cambodia's National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) conducted a series of workshops for local government officials in charge of disaster management in Kompong Chhnang, Pursat and Kompong Thom provinces from late January to early February 2010. Some 30 local officers at each province, totaling 90, participated in the workshops

Workshop included lectures such as the national disaster management system, information on disaster risks, and total disaster risk management and Town Watching and hazard mapping to increase their expertise on DRR and how to raise public disaster awareness.　

With participants' active discussion and cooperation by NCDM and the local officials, the workshops resulted in success. The outcome of the workshops is expected to be shared with other provinces as well.

(2010/01/25 17:40)

10-12 June (Hanoi, Vietnam)

16-18 June (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

23-25 June (Vientiane Province, Lao PDR)

In June 2009, the ADRC and disaster management organizations of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam conducted trainings of trainers (TOT) in the ASEAN Project: Capacity Building of Local Government Officials on Disaster Management, which aims at reinforcing capacity of local government officials in charge of disaster management in the region. After the TOT, 10 participants will give lectures to 90 local officials in each country.

On 10 - 12 June 2009, Vietnam's Disaster Management Center (DMC) and the ADRC conducted TOT with the participants from Thua Thien Hue, Lao Cai and Tien Giang provinces and DMC. Experts from the ADRC, DMC, and Vietnam Red Cross gave lectures on risk assessment, disaster mitigation for flood, training facilities skills etc followed by town watching and community-based hazard mapping in Hanoi on the final day.

On 16-18 June 2009, TOT was held in Phnom Penh with topics such as total disaster risk management, Cambodia's situation about disaster risk reduction, and development planning and disaster risk reduction lectured by the country's National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) and the ADRC. Participants were composed of local government officials from Kompong Thom, Pursat and Kompong Chhnang provinces. On the final day, town watching / community-based hazard mapping was also organized in Kandal province.

On 23-15 June 2009, National Disaster Management Office　（NDMO） of Lao PDR and the ADRC held TOT in Vientiane province with participants from Vientiane, Bolikhamsay, and Luangnamtha provinces where the experts from the ADRC, NDMO, Lao Ministry from Education and Meteorological Agency lectured on contingency planning, urban planning and disaster risk management, early warning system, and rapid assessment etc. The local officials were divided into three groups by the province and conducted hazard mapping for risk assessment.

Through all the trainings, participating officials gained further expertise on various topics and had active discussions for coming training of local government officials. In the hazard mapping, they made risk assessment in the area based on what they learned in the TOT, discussed measures to be taken by every sector and reassured the importance of public awareness of disaster risk reduction.

Following the TOT, the three countries and ADRC will start workshops targeting local government officials from now on.

 (2009/07/02 17:40)