Cambodia
1.Geography and Topography
Cambodia lies between Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam. It has a total area of 181,035 sq. km. of which 4,520 sq.km. is comprised of water. The Gulf of Thailand,
located at the southwest of Cambodia, has a coastline of 460km.
Cambodia is a tropical country with only two seasons: the rainy, monsoon season from May to late October and the dry season from November to March.
Its terrain is mostly low and flat with the exception of the mountains in the southwest and the north (Diopenes 2003). Cambodia is "a land of paddies and
forests dominated by the Mekong and Tonle Sap" (World Factbook 2000).
The mountainous areas in the east receive an annual mean rainfall from 2,000 to 3,000 mm while the mountainous area of the country in the southwest can receive
an annual mean rainfall of up to 4,000 mm. The annual mean rainfall in the plains is about 1,400 to 1,600 mm. However, annual rainfall is reduced by 50 percent
when there is drought and is increased by 40 percent in a year where there is heavy flooding (CARE 2001).
2. Natural Disasters and Their Impact on the Environment and Communities
Heavy rains occur annually in the Upper Mekong countries of China, Lao, Myanmar and Thailand. When this happens, the Mekong river overflows into the Tonle Sap Lake
which naturally increases its surface area up to four times its normal size. Surrounding provinces within seven-kilometer radius get flooded. During wet season,
the Mekong River also floods its banks up to four meters of water. The Mekong and its tributaries, combined with local rainfall, annually flood 17,100 sq km or 25%
of the plain area. Mekong River and Tonle Sap generously provide food and income to some 87% of Cambodi'as population living in watershed plain (CARE, 2001).
Heavy rains during slow moving storms aggravated by large-scale deforestation also results in flashflood.
According to CSD report, about 76.5% of the total cultivated area are totally rainwater dependent. As crop production depends on availability of rainfall,
food production is seriously threatened not only by floods but by drought as well.
Water related hazards - floods and drought - play a major role in aggravating the poverty and vulnerability of communities in Cambodia, especially the poor.
It has been observed that water related hazards have been increasing for the past seven years and has contributed to food insecurity (CSD 2002).
Wetsig summarized the recent disasters in Cambodia in her report to IFRC. She wrote:
The country was affected by six natural disasters in the period 1986-1995. These included two droughts, two floods and two epidemics. Another severe natural
disaster to affect the country in recent years is the flood of 1996, which affected 1.3 million people. Before that, the country was severely affected by floods
in 1991. These floods were one of the most devastating in 37 years (USAID/OFDA, 1992). Torrential rains in Cambodia itself were compounded by the upstream flooding
in Laos, which added to the water levels in Cambodia. Ten provinces were affected, hundreds of villages inundated and many villages were isolated by the rising flood
waters. Widespread damage was also caused in Phnom Penh. Unofficial sources put the number of dead at 100, while UNDHA estimated that around 650,000 people were in need
of food assistance.
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