LIVELIHOOD AT RISK. The reality of adaptation to climate change by smallholder

farmers in the Mekong river basin.

NAPA Project CAMBODIA

LAO PDR

MEKONG RIVER LAOS CAMBODIA.

• Population Cambodia and Laos: 22 million

• 1/3 living from less than 1 $ per day

• 70-80 % making livelihood from agriculture, forestry,

fisheries

• Large majority of smallholder farmers

• High level of biodiversity and agro-biodiversity

• High dependency on exploitation of natural

resources

• Extensive system of river basins and watersheds

• Ranked 136th/139th on HDI 2014

RICE FISH FOOD SECURITY.

• Most of the farming systems rice-based

• Significant utilization of forest products in

mountainous and upland regions

• Rich diversity of fish stock in watersheds

• Livestock raising mainly complementary

• Problems to maintain food security

corresponding to flood and drought events

• Quality nutrition cannot be maintained

throughout the year

DROUGHT FLOOD EROSION IMPACT. • Regular flood and drought an imminent feature

of Mekong life, experience and livelihood

• But: very limited knowledge of smallholder

farmers to cope with irregular flood and

drought

• Changing patterns of rainfall and temperature

• Changes in agro-ecology and reduction in

biodiversity

• Additional climatic events like heavy storms

and typhoons

• Increasing land slides and erosion; loss of soils,

poorer quality of soils

• Limited individual or institutional capacity to

address these matters adequately

NAPA CAMBODIA PARTICIPATORY WATER MANAGEMENT.

• Awareness campaigns on climate change for

smallholders farmers and local institutions

• Participatory engagement with communities

• Establishment of Farmer Water User Groups

• Appropriate water management for adaptive

rice production

• Quality seed production and rice seed

purification

• Mainstreaming of climate change into

planning and curricula development

IRAS LAO FARMING DIVERSIFICATION.

• Development of local climate change and

vulnerability scenarios with GIS applications

• Village land use planning under aspects of

climate change: drought and flood

• Community preparedness for disaster

management

• Climate change training and adaption

modules for agriculture extension services

• Pilot activities for farming system diversification

among smallholder farmers: crops, vegetables,

fruits, aquaculture, livestock, small business

development.

TECHNOLOGY EXTENSION • Micro reservoirs

• Farm and community ponds

• Small-scale irrigation systems

• Water harvesting facilities

• Adaptive rice varieties

• Crop and livestock diversification

• Training modules for smallholder farmers

• Curricula development for local schools

LOCAL RESEARCH + DEVELOPMENT.

• > 70 agricultural extension modules for

smallholder farmers

• Market orientation on cash crops for export

• Insufficient resources for local technology

development

• Gradual strategic orientation on research for

agriculture adaptation and mitigation

CROP YIELDS BALANCING LOSS + GAIN.

Mean change (green bars) from 1996–2005 to 2046–2055. Whiskers indicate the range of impacts. Tan-

coloured bars indicate projected changes in population. Most regions are likely to experience significant

decreases in self-sufficiency (orange bars), because population growth often offsets even increasing crop

yields. OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2009.

• Increasing human populations

• Higher competition for land, water, energy

• Different agricultural yields through climatic

variations

• Increasing food prices

• Decreasing levels of food security

• Decreasing self-sufficiency

• Significant local and regional differences

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RESILIENCE = JUST DEVELOPMENT.

Priority call for

• Enhanced transfer of appropriate technology and support to

local research + development in the Mekong region

• Focus of agriculture strategies on food security and

livelihood of smallholder families.

• Practical approaches for balancing loss and gains within

countries, regions or on a global scale.

THANK YOU.

NAPA Project

LAO PDR

CAMBODIA

IRAS - Strengthening the Resilience of the Agriculture

Sector to Climate Change Impacts

NAPA - National Adaptation Plan for Action