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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
·
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.
·
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.
[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
|