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Disaster Management

   (i)      Introduction

Floods and draught have devastated Cambodia over the last three years. In 2000 floods resulted in 347 persons dead and more than 3.5 million affected.[1] By 2002, the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) reported that total damage as a result of natural disasters amounted to 33 Million US dollars.[2] The impact of natural disasters (flood and drought) is particularly acute in relation to the vulnerability of poor households. Floods cause homeless and poor production capacity in relation to rice and fish spawning. This in turn leads to a cycle of debt and poverty. It is therefore clear that vulnerable groups affected by floods and droughts remain susceptible to poverty and food insecurity.

Flooding of the Mekong River is a recurrent event. The RGC prioritizes disaster management in the NPRS as requiring major intervention for poverty reduction strategy in Cambodia. More effective intervention will increase environmental sustainability and improve resource management in turn reducing the vulnerability of Cambodian people who are living in flood plains areas. Therefore, different disaster management interventions would be recommended.[3] In addition to these natural disasters, man made influences have had significant impacts on these vulnerable communities.

Strengths

Circulars No 01 and 02 S.R of Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen have outlined an effort in disaster prevention through Line Authorities, Ministries, and Provincial Committee for Disaster Management (PCDM), and District Committee for Disaster Management (DCDM) and Commune Disaster Management Group. This structure assists the existing committees at village and commune levels in the implementation of the disaster management activities.

Funding received from international organisations (IOs) for training on disaster preparedness and mitigation has reached all levels from national, provincial, district and commune. With the consent of the Prime Minister, the NCDM has formed a partnership with the larger IOs in becoming a member of disaster reduction and management planning for a construction centre within ASEAN.[4]

The Humanitarian Accountability Project (HAP) conducted humanitarian assessments with organizations working on disaster management in Cambodia. The recommendations from these findings have led to the establishment of the Cambodian Humanitarian Accountability Network “HANet”.  These findings are now being incorporated into a training and action plan programme.

There is a greater participatory role of NGOs working in poverty reduction.[5]  Many NGOs are now integrating this initiative for Disaster Preparedness into their project and programme strategies as well as at village/commune levels.

ADB and WB have established emergency flood control and irrigation rehabilitation projects supporting vulnerable communities from the effects of flooding. 

The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has taken a proactive approach to flood relief operations by understanding the need for a long-term strategy in addition to the distribution of emergency food and shelter.

Opportunities

Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen is Chair of NCDM. This enhances good cooperation between IOs and national government institutions. This collaboration can assist in the process of legal reform and attract funding for both NCDM/government institutions, international and local organizations.

Mekong Basin Countries and Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology (MOWRAM) will develop a comprehensive, long-term flood management and mitigation strategy. MOWRAM will appraise the possible impacts of climate variability. MOWRAM will conduct a flood assessment of the communities and evaluate the assets at risk along with realistic costs of flood damage.

Capacity building programmes within NCDM, MOWRAM and relevant institutions will assist with appropriate interventions in Cambodia.

The Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards of the Sphere Project incorporate links between the existing laws and how these may be translated into specific levels of material assistance for people suffering disaster.  These standards also represent extensive reviews of good practice to assure the continuing quality of humanitarian assistance in Cambodia.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council has approved a five year Flood Management Programme to prevent, minimize and mitigate people losses due to floods, while preserving the benefits of flooding.  The programme addresses Flood Early Warning as one of the top priorities.

Weaknesses

At national level, low capacity and resources among staff have impacted on the implementation of this programme at community level.  Capacity of local district and commune disaster management committees needs to be considered. There is often an absence or ineffectiveness of the feedback committee (FBC). Capacity of those to identify, implement and monitor appropriate forms of disaster mitigation and preparedness measures need to be further developed.

An unclear long-term strategy plan for disaster management exists within the NCDM at all levels. Due to limited resources, there is an absence of existing counter plans for disaster preparedness and mitigation. The coordination role of NCDM is often ineffective and requires improvement

Projects are too often focused on relief rather than on the integration of development and relief.

A strengthened accountability and transparency network is required at all levels. However this is particularly so at the local level as findings from a recent HAP research highlight a number of issues raised at community level - Nepotism along party lines and a lack of village committees imparting knowledge on disaster preparedness to the community which then leads to a low level of understanding on these issues among the village people

   (ii)      Key Issues

There is a lack of disaster information and dissemination.  The alert and warning system is still limited with unclear roles and responsibilities within the existing structure on the disaster response process. At the same time there remains also limited human and financial resources available to respond to disasters.

The impact of flooding remains critical. There is lack of reserved funds for disaster action plans among vulnerable communities resulting in physical illness, loss of food stock, disease/injury (malnutrition to women and children), social change and financial instability, (health care, shelter, transportation, reconstruction and farming needs).

While there are international agencies and increasing number of local Cambodian NGOs working towards poverty reduction, there is insufficient attention paid to quality, accountability, reporting/monitoring requirements, as they frequently focus on the establishment of programme activities.

Women in rural Cambodia, who head families, are often widows and have the responsibility of household workload and worries about income generation are among the most vulnerable groups within the community.[6]

Ms. NP lives in Prey Veng province.  She says, “because of the flood-drought disaster in my village, I no longer have enough rice to meet my family’s needs. As a result I may need to sell my drought animals and land to get money to migrate”.

Ref: DIPECHO, 2002

Ms. SP is a widow and has six children. She said that in 2000 and 2001 her family could not grow rice because of floods and the bamboo floor of her house was under water. It was difficult to feed animals or find food and rice became expensive. In 2000, she sold one of her cows to buy rice and food. She could not borrow money from the market as the other villagers had done because she had no money to repay the loan. She said, “My children and I have been trying to live in these difficult conditions.” In recent years, as farming has been better, she and her children can help each other to work..

Ref: DIPECHO, 2002

      (iii)           Recommendations

Any successful development and/or poverty alleviation initiatives result in increased family assets and agricultural productivity through rehabilitation of infrastructure and emphasizing multiple livelihood components such as managing natural resources and accessing credit.

Recommendations For Government:

·         All government institutions need to be encouraged to participate in disaster preparedness and mitigation at grass root levels.  

·         The NCDM should play an effective coordination role in strengthening collaboration between all local disaster management institutions and ministries to carry out agreed action plans.

·         It is recognized that NCDM itself needs to have skills built in coordination. The RGC should consider placing project management experts in NCDM, with the aim of creating a pro-active effective response capacity. Management skills need to be developed in negotiation, management of meetings to create agreed action plans, and coordination of diverse and geographically separate groups. A common understanding of accountability needs to be processed through all emergency response agencies.

·         A commitment to accountability and transparency needs to come from all government institutions.

Recommendations For Donors:

·         Funds to support the disaster management programme in Cambodia through training and strengthened disaster preparedness action plan at village and communes levels where flood might be affected need to be considered.

Recommendations For NGOs:

·         Provide technical support to all levels of ministries and local authorities in developing a clear strategy for disaster preparedness, relief, mitigation and rehabilitation under coordination from NDCM.

·         Develop counter plans for disaster preparedness and mitigation response and integrate it into the long-term programme strategy.

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[1] National Poverty Reduction Strategy, (2002)

[2] ECHO (2003): CARE, NCDM and WFP 2002 Joint Food Security Assessment. Phnom Penh. ECHO and CARE Cambodia April 2003.

[3] ECHO, (2003) ibid.

[4] NCDM statement on disaster status in 2003: 3

[5]  AusAID paper - NGOs ‘good practice principles” in Cambodia 2003

[6]  WFP, 2000:5

________________________________________________________

For more information and the issues raised in this paper, please contact the Humanitarian Accountability Network in Cambodia:

1. Hourt Khieu,            CARE, Tel: 023 215 267/8/9, Email: khieu@care-cambodia.org     

2.  Kien Vaddanak, Cambodia Red Cross, Tel: 023 212 878, Email: vaddanakkien@yahoo.com       

3.  Mot Sana, World Vision International, Tel: 023 216 052, Email: sana_mot@wvi.org      

4.  Neup Ly, Urban Sector Group, Tel: 023 360 568, Email: admin.usg@forum.org.kh

5.  Phoeuk Sok,            Oxfam GB, Tel: 023 720 036, Email: psok@oxfam.org.kh     

6.  Savun Sam Ol, NAS, Tel: 012 579 048, Email: 012897103@mobitel.com.kh

7.  Tan Bun Leng, CONCERN, Tel: 023 214 879, Email: bunleng@concerncambodia.net