Drought fears ignite action
Concerns that a drought may soon grip some of Cambodia’s provinces intensified after the government allocated thousands of cubic metres of water to more than 20,000 hectares of dried rice paddies in a mission to save valuable rice crops last weekend. Although the rainy season has cloaked parts of the country in heavy rain, areas in Kampong Speu, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Oddar Meanchey, Battambang and Banteay Meanchey provinces have had little relief. The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has allocated water supplies to at-risk areas, diverting water through vast canals and equipping farmers with machinery to dig channels, according to ministry spokesman Chan Yutha. … According to agriculture officials in Kampong Speu, there are 3,000 rice paddies in the province facing devastation, while 800 hectares have already been destroyed.
