The Impacts of Climate Change in Cambodia.In Cambodia, agriculture dominates the Cambodian economy and in ordinary Cambodian life. However, the creation and production of agricultural products are threatened by climate change. Most notably, the effects climate change has on water, which agriculture relies on. Climate change affects the water by warming it, which in turn affects and changes the monsoon patterns. The monsoons in Cambodia are important in delivering the water needed to supply agricultural needs. The monsoon provides farmers the required quantity of water to grow crops. The same can also be said for flooding, as the monsoon also provide rainstorms, but with a changed pattern, it can provide damage to Cambodia’s already weak infrastructure. It's not only infrastructure, the daily use of water is also at risk, as droughts cause water shortages in parts of Cambodia. The Cambodian economy relies on agriculture stabilise the economy. Because of this, floods and droughts will be more common, which will endanger Cambodia’s 15 million people. |
By Joseph John Brizuela
Examples of drought and Flooding in Cambodia.
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Deforestation in Cambodia can be best described as a company ran by the mafia. Deforestation is a rabid problem and is not only boosting climate change in a domestic level, but also in an international platform. Global Witness, an environmental rights group points the source of the issue to Try Pheap (TP), a Cambodian timber company that is spearheading illegal deforestation. TP is currently logging Cambodia's rarest tree species, the kra nhung to the brink of extinction. They are also illegally shipping these rare woods into China, through the protection of corrupt Government and Military officials. A lot is at stake in Cambodia’s environment regarding the issue. In a 2005 report by the FAO of the UN, Cambodia is ranked third in the world in terms of deforestation. Statistics show that Cambodia’s forest cover fell from over 70% from 1975 to a 3.1% in 2007. Deforestation in Cambodia is accelerating to an unprecedented rate and is not stopping. If the threat of deforestation continue, we may as well bid farewell to some of the world’s most precious woods.
Photos: Deforestation in Cambodia, kra nhung logs and containers filled with kra nhung ready to be shipped to China. |
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