Environment and Energy

Cambodia’s environment is increasingly under pressure from a number of sources, including rapid development and the impacts of climate change. UNDP works with the Royal Government of Cambodia to strengthen policy, legislative and regulatory mechanisms on biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management, responses to climate change impacts including adaptation and mitigation and promoting clean and renewable sources of energy.

A major focus is assisting the Government to respond to the threats posed by climate change. Cambodia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in Asia, putting agriculture, water supplies, ecosystems and human health at particularly high risk. The lack of access to modern clean energy in rural areas is a barrier to livelihood development for the poor and the induced dependency on wood energy is a major driver for deforestation.To address these challenges, the Government, UNDP and donors formed an alliance in early 2010 to help Cambodia fight and adapt to climate change.

UNDP also supports Cambodia to mobilize funds from the Global Environment Facility to address critical threats such as biodiversity loss, climate change and ozone depletion. On behalf of this partnership, UNDP manages the GEF Small Grants Programme.

Environment and Energy Programme Factsheet

Cambodia UN-REDD National Programme

Climate change educational posters:
(Click on the pictures to download the posters)

Climate change impact educational poster	Climate change drought educational poster	Climate change cause educational poster	Climate change adaptation educational poster

Key Facts about Environment and Energy in Cambodia:

1. There are 23 protected areas, which amount to 3.3 million hectares, established under law in Cambodia. This includes the Cardamom Mountains and three core areas of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.
2. In 2005, forest cover amounted to 59.2 percent of total land area in Cambodia, dropping below the CMDG target of 60 percent. It continues to drop annually by 1.3 percent.
3. Based on the vulnerability impact assessment on climate change, the country’s average temperature is expected to increase by 1.35–2.5 degrees Celsius by 2100. Annual rainfall is expected to increase between 3 and 35 percent from the current levels.
4. Only about 22% of Cambodians have access to electricity (Phnom Penh, which has around 10% of the population, uses more than 85% of total electricity consumed) and 94% of the population living in rural areas relies on wood, charcoal, car batteries and kerosene.
5. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather is expected to increase with changing climate conditions, and cause severe damage to rice harvests. Floods have accounted for 70% of rice production losses between 1998 and 2002, while drought accounted for 20% of losses.

Sources: 1. National Strategic Development Plan 2006-2010; 2. Human Development Report 2007/2008 3. First Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of Cambodia, MoE, 2001; 4. Local Development Outlook 2010, UNCDF; 5. Initial National Communications, Ministry of Environment, 2002;