Cambodia is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts such as floods and droughts. Of the four top economic sectors – garment, tourism, construction and agriculture – the latter accounted for 57.6% of rural labour force, and for over 30% of GDP in 2011. Lack of or inadequate physical infrastructure, early warning systems and low capacityof farmers to adapt to the adverse effect of climate change exacerbate the risks associated with changing weather patterns. Farmers face seasonal challenges of droughts in the dry season and floods due to heavy rains in the wet season. Furthermore, rainfall patterns have been shifting, with longer droughts, short rainy seasons and occasional flash floods. The
adverse impacts of climate change include increased risk of poor yields or even crop failure, and greater incidence of pest and diseases.
To enable farmers to adapt to climate change, SNV applied site specific assessments to identify suitable agricultural production technologies and practices, taking into consideration the social, economic, and environmental conditions. The Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) project is part of a multi-country SNV programme that connetrates on low greenhouse gas
emissions as well as pro-poor and market driven climate resilient agriculture. In Cambodia, we focus on the development and strengthening of horticulture value chains. At the production level, technological interventions, including tarpaulin lined ponds combined with rovai pumps and raised bed gardens, enable farmers to respond to drought and floods respectively. These technologies allowed farmers to prolong the production cycle, diversify production and increase yields, leading to incerased household food security and incomes and boosting their resilience to climate change.