Water management for irrigation in Cambodia

Cambodia is known as an agricultural country of which rice stands at the first rank compared with other crops. Rice is the staple food and accounts as 70% of the daily calorie intake. In terms of rice production nowadays Cambodian is lagging behind its Asian neighbor countries-Thai and Vietnam. Lacking of irrigation infrastructures strongly limits the access the rice field to water sources. Water management and knowledge of using agricultural inputs including seed, fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide are the other core factors which affect the Cambodia rice production.

Water management is a particular challenge for both dry land and irrigated cropping. The flatness of many prime rice-cropping areas means that it is difficult to both control flooding through drainage management and impound water for later use in irrigation. In contrast to other parts of Asia, many farmers are able to produce only a single crop per year. Combined with the problems of low productivity, volatile yields and strong seasonality, this has contributed to poor market linkages. In addition, there is a lack of investment in plantations and contract farming although it is understood that issues of land ownership/control loom large in this regard. Average rice yields are low, and Cambodia’s predominantly rainfed farming systems are also highly prone to the effects of seasonal climate variability and, in the long term, impacts of climate change. The poorest farmers will bear the brunt of climate change because they live in the more-vulnerable areas. The impacts of climate change will amplify food security issues.