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Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy |
Cambodia''s economy is highly dependent on water. Its importance for food production, rural livelihoods and economic development is recognized in the Government's Rectangular Strategy on Growth, Employment, Equity and Efficiency (Phase 2, 2008), the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP, 2006-2013), and the Strategy for Agriculture and Water Resources (SAW, 2009-2013). Rainfall distribution and river discharges are highly seasonal, variable and unpredictable, with a natural pattern of wet and dry seasons, typhoons, floods and droughts. Coupled with this, the annual rise and fall of the Mekong River has both positive and negative effects - sustaining the critical water cycles of the Tonle Sap Lake and Lower Mekong delta necessary for agriculture and fisheries production, but with the potential to cause major flooding and damage to infrastructure and crops, and loss of life. It is anticipated that climate change will increase the challenges of water management; less rainfall is anticipated during the dry season and more during the wet season, with more frequent extreme weather events and potentially worse seasonal water shortages and floods. |
