Disaster preparedness and emergency response policy and administration

Local government officials in a southern Cambodian province failed to evacuate villagers in time to prevent their homes and rice fields from flooding after the operators of a Chinese-built hydropower dam informed them a day earlier that they would open the facility’s gates to release ...

People are no longer denying that El Nino – a cyclical weather phenomenon that can cause severe drought – has arrived in Cambodia. ...

Rice crops in western Cambodia will die from drought if the region does not receive rain within the next month, officials said Thursday, as a development organization urged the government to do more to assist farmers with irrigation. ...

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, USAID and a range of participating organizations have launched a five-year initiative they hope will transform the way in which the government, organizations, universities and citizens use data for research and decision-making. ...

Amid what some meteorologists have dubbed a “Godzilla-like El Niño”, drought conditions during Cambodia’s scheduled monsoon season have significantly worsened from what last year were termed historically bad levels, a new report from the Ministry of Agriculture shows. ...

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today launched “SERVIR-Mekong,” for 5 countries in the Lower Mekong, according to U.S Embassy’s press release received here this afternoon. ...

Ministry of water resources and meteorology said a tropical storm GONI hitting through the tropical western Pacific Ocean since August 17, is heading to Taiwan, while Cambodia is likely to be affected by this storm. ...

A severe drought is affecting many people in provinces across Cambodia and has prompted the government to warn that it will deepen poverty in the developing country. The government has not released any figures on the extent to which the drought has affected the populace. ...

As a light rain peppered the dry earth in Kampong Thom province’s O’Dong village on Friday afternoon, residents rejoiced. Having scrambled around for pots and bowls, they hoped the drizzle would yield enough water to cover their basic needs. But after just 15 minutes, hope turned ...

A new Law on Disaster Management sailed through the National Assembly yesterday, with Prime Minister Hun Sen promising a more rapid and coordinated response across government agencies. ...

The National Assembly on Thursday debated and easily passed two chapters of a law that aims to improve responses to natural and man-made disasters, partly by imposing fines and jail time for incompetent officials and citizens who know of, but fail to report, a coming ...

A 34-year-old man was killed by lightning yesterday while attempting to construct a waterway under his house during a morning storm, local police said. ...

After a storm damaged utility poles in Siem Reap province last week, leading to nearly four days of power outages, officials said Sunday that electricity had been fully restored to the area. ...

At least 30 houses were damaged due to heavy rainstorm yesterday in Siem Reap province, but no one were killed in the accident, an official said today. ...

At least eight people were confirmed injured after storms battered four provinces across Cambodia on Tuesday, leaving almost 800 houses destroyed or badly damaged.​ ...

Disaster management officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered here Tuesday to discuss ways to promote regional cooperation in response to disasters, a senior Cambodian official said. ...

An environmental nongovernmental organization and young Cambodians opposed to sand dredging will petition the country’s parliament and relevant ministries to stop companies from digging up sand in a southwestern province, activists said. ...

More than 50 houses were left in shambles after a storm tore through Banteay Meanchey province on Tuesday. ...

Authorities are tallying the cost of major storms that battered three provinces in recent days, leaving one woman dead and more than 100 homes and other buildings damaged. ...

Starting today, residents of Banteay Meanchey, Pursat and Kampong Thom provinces can enroll in a disaster-response calling service through their phones in anticipation of the impending rainy season. ...

New articles may be added to a draft law on disaster management, including punishments for officials who break the law. The current draft includes prison sentences and small fines for people who, for example, enter restricted areas during a disaster. ...

Cambodia had spent approximately 30 million U.S. dollars on disaster control in 2014, Nhim Vanda, the first vice-president of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), said Thursday. ...

Cambodia is particularly at risk from man-made climate change due to its dependence on agriculture and its geography, Minister of Environment Say Sam Al said yesterday. The minister, speaking at a workshop marking 20 years of meetings on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said ...

Two people were injured and more than 60 homes left damaged after freak storms swept through Preah Vihear and Banteay Meanchey provinces over the weekend. ...