Welcome to Cambodia: Climate change hits home

Cambodia's deadly floodwaters, storms and droughts are the result of global climate change, Minister for Environment Mok Mareth told the Second National Forum on Climate Change yesterday.

“In the last year, many countries in the world, including Cambodia, have frequently encountered natural disasters intensified by the impact of climate change,” Mok Mareth said, adding that Cambodia had already seen increases in temperature and rainfall, and that the trend was predicted to continue.

With flooding claiming almost 150 lives over the past month, and destroying the crops of thousands of farmers, the impact of climate change was a palpable concern for speakers at the forum. They included United Nations resident coordinator Douglas Broderick and Ministry of Environment director-general Chay Samith, who opened the three-day conference in the capital.

“Cambodia is a country suffering from natural disasters as a result of climate change,” Chay Samith said. “Cambodia has experienced more severe floods, droughts and storms, which have had severe impacts on livelihoods and caused serious damage to property and crops,” he told the more than 700 people who had gathered for the forum.

Broderick said “Cambodia is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts”, and noted that flooding and drought, which are both linked to climate change, are major contributors to poverty.

Tin Ponlock, a conservation expert at the Ministry of Environment, said Cambodia had seen more intense rainfall patterns over the last 40 years and that this trend was expected to continue.

Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly said climate change had seriously impacted agriculture, the economy and the poor. “This year flooding destroyed over 80,000 hectares of rice crops and about 500 people are believed to have died,” he said.

The official death toll currently stands at 148. Keo Vy, cabinet chief of the Natural Committee for Disaster Management, could not be reached yesterday to confirm the numbers.

Chan Youtha, cabinet chief at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, said floodwaters would continue to rise up to 0.5 meters in the Mekong River over the next few days due to heavy rains in Thailand and Laos, but they should begin receding from Thursday.

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You Plan Your Trip to Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder Yet?

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.


The more authentic information about Visiting Cambodia you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Visiting Cambodia expert. Read on for even more Visiting Cambodia facts that you can share.

Most international visitors to Cambodia arrive by air at either Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. An increasing number of airlines are operating into Cambodia in response to the Cambodian governments open skies policy. The list of international airlines serving Cambodia includes; Bangkok Airways, China Southern Airlines, Dragonair, EVA Air, Lao Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Mandarin Airlines, Mekong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Siem Reap Airways International, Silk Air, Royal Phnom Penh Airways, Thai Airways International and Vietnam Airlines.

For transport to the city centre when arriving at Phnom Penh, you will find taxis outside the arrival hall. The taxi fare from the airport to the city is US$7 and the trip will take about 15 minutes, depending on traffic.

In Siem Reap the cost of a taxi into the town area from the airport is US$5. Many of the larger hotels will offer free transport so let your hotel know your flight arrival details in advance.

Overland travel to Cambodia is possible through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam via border crossings.

Travelling around Cambodia

Air travel, bus, train, boat and taxi are all modes of transport available to tourists in Cambodia. Your selection is best determined by how far you wish to travel, the time you have available, the amount you want to spend and, sometimes, by the weather as during the wet season travel by road especially in the provinces can be very slow.

For getting around the major centres such as Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, the most common form of public transport is the moto (motorbike taxi). The motos are fast, cheap (negotiate the price before your trip) and readily available however if you are unfamiliar with sitting as a passenger on a motorbike in heavy traffic, such as in Phnom Penh, then you may prefer an alternative mode.

The quaint cyclo is also common in the cities and is a safer more pleasant way of getting around compared to the moto, although obviously slower! Again, negotiate the price first.

For comfort and safety your best option may be to hire a car, with a driver, and this will cost you around US$20-$25 per day. Your hotel/guesthouse will usually be able to arrange a car for you.

Where to stay

More about Ree Hotel

There are accommodation options to suit all tastes and budgets in Cambodia, from 5-star luxury hotels to inexpensive and friendly guesthouses. Please click on our Accommodation link to see an extensive list.

Currency / Banks / Credit Cards

The official currency of Cambodia is the Riel however US dollars are widely accepted; in fact many businesses set their prices in US dollars. It is however wise to carry some riel around with you for small purchases. The current exchange rate for the riel to the US$ is around 4000 riel = US$1.

The acceptance of credit cards is increasing in Cambodia and you can get cash advances against your credit card at some major commercial banks. There are however no ATMs that will provide access to foreign bank accounts. Click on the link for a full list of commercial banks in Cambodia.

Climate

Cambodia has a tropical climate that is warm and humid. In the monsoon season, abundant rain allows for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops and this year round tropical climate makes Cambodia ideal for the tourism industry. Visitors do need not fear natural disasters such as erupting volcanoes or earthquakes, and the country is not directly affected by tropical storms.

Cambodia can be visited throughout the year. However those planning to travel extensively by road should avoid the last two months of the rainy season when some countryside roads may be impassable.

The climate can generally be described as tropical. As the country is affected by monsoon, it is hot and humid with an overage temperature around 27.C (80.F) but in the dry season it is cool and very much like a European summer.

There are two distinct seasons: the Rainy Season and the Dry Season. However, the Dry Season is divided into two sub-seasons, cool and hot and these seasons are:

The Rainy season:
From June till October 27-35.C (80-95.f)

The Dry season (cool):
From November till February 17-27.C (80-95.F)

The Dry season (Hot) :
From March till May 29-38.C (84-100.F)

Cambodia is one of the few countries that visitors can enjoy all the year round.

So now you know a little bit about Visiting Cambodia. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.

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About Cambodia

(Cambodia's flag)

Cambodia, known as Kampuchea, the Kingdom of Cambodia as an official name is a country located in South Eath Asia with a population of over 14 million people.Phnom Penh is the largest city and also the Kingdom's capital.The people of Cambodia is usually identified as "Cambodian" or "Khmer".

(Cambodia's map)

Geography

Cambodia has a total area 181,035 square kilometers with 2.5% of water area.The country borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast, and Vietnam to its east and southeast. In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong river (colloquial Khmer: Tonle Thom or "the great river") and the Tonlé Sap ("the fresh water lake"), an important source of fish.

Climate

Cambodia's temperatures range from 21° to 35°C (69° to 95°F) and experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March. The country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February.

It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22 °C and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can raise up to 40 °C around April. The best months to visit Cambodia are November to January when temperatures and humidity are lower.

Administrative divisions

Provinces (khaet) and municipalities (krong) are Cambodia's first-level administrative divisions. Rural areas are divided among Cambodia's twenty provinces, and urban areas are divided among Cambodia's four municipalities.

Here's the city and provices status:

No.	Name of city/province	Capital	Area (Km2)	Population (2008-03-03)	Distance from Phnom Penh (km)
1	City of Phnom Penh	Phnom Penh	290	1,325,681
2	City of Sihanoukville	Sihanoukville	868	199,902	230
3	City of Kep	Kep	336	35,753	173
4	City of Pailin	Pailin	803	70,482	371
5	Kandal	Ta Khmau	3,568	1,265,085	11
6	Takeo	Takeo	3,563	843,931	78
7	Kampong Cham	Kampong Cham	9,799	1,680,694	124
8	Kampong Thom	Kampong Thom	13,814	630,803	168
9	Siem Reap	Siem Reap	10,299	896,309	314
10	Preah Vihear	Tbeng MeanChey	13,788	170,852	294
11	Oddar Meancheay	Sam Raong	6,158	185,443	469
12	Banteay Meanchey	Sisophoan	6,679	678,033	359
13	Battambang	Batdambong	11,072	1,024,663	291
14	Pursat	Pursat	12,692	397,107	189
15	Kampong Chhnang	Kampong Chhnang	5,521	471,616	91
16	Kampong Speu	Kampong Speu	7,017	716,517	48
17	Koh Kong	Koh Kong	11,160	139,722	271
18	Kampot	Kampot	4,873.2	585,110	143
19	Prey Veng	Prey Veng	4,883	947,357	90
20	Svay Rieng	Svay Rieng	2,966	482,785	122
21	Kratie	Kratie	11,094	318,523	315
22	Stung Treng	Stung Treng	11,092	111,734	455
23	Ratanakiri	Lumphatt	10,782	149,997	588
24	Mondulkiri	Senmonorom	14,288	60,811	521

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