Agricultural Support for the Rural Poor
"Farmers have seen positive results
over the years of reliable and increased rice yields in the
project areas and they have taken care to maintain and continue
the improvements."
- Mr. Sheku Tejan Kamara, UNV Rural Engineer
More than 80 percent of Cambodians make their living off the
land. The agricultural sector is the backbone of the economy,
providing more than 40 percent of the gross domestic product.
Most Cambodians are also living in extreme poverty, with over
a third of the population living on less than a dollar a day.
What most of them have in common is the lack of access to
resources and opportunities to improve their lives.
In an effort to contribute to poverty alleviation in Cambodia,
the World Bank has provided funding to the Agricultural Productivity
Improvement Project, directed towards the rural poor. The
project is being piloted in two provinces, Kampong Thom and
Kratie, in areas where 100% of the population live below the
poverty line.
A team of UNVs have been fielded to the pilot provinces to
facilitate capacity-building of the provincial staff and to
support a variety of field activities. In each province, one
International UNV Irrigation Engineer and one Socio-Economist/Community
Participation Advisor share their knowledge and experiences
with the local counterparts to enhance their knowledge and
skills in community participation and the technical aspects
of the project.
As of December 2002, the UNV Socio-Economist/Community Participation
Advisor has conducted twelve socio-economic analyses for 12
project sites using the data gathered by the staff of Provincial
Department of Water Resources and Meteorology. Likewise, the
UNV Irrigation Engineer has done seven designs of proposed
irrigation schemes. Other field activities being undertaken
include: land surveying, scheme investigation, irrigation
work, and gender training. Two orientation workshops have
been conducted as of this writing and more will be carried
out throughout the year.
The support to the agricultural sectors from this project
is providing comprehensive support that will have long lasting
benefits for the communities.
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