YSEALI Global Environmental Issues

YSEALI Global Environmental Issues Pre-Departure Paper--Climate Change

Socheata Eng —Cambodia August 24, 2017

Climate Change is one of environmental issues that the global is facing. Cambodia, as a least developing country, has been ranked as one of the most vulnerable countries to the effect of climate change due to the comparatively low adaptive capability.1 As most of Cambodian people rely on agriculture, the effects on climate or the change on it could contribute to the effect of agricultural products, hence set to the loss of people and national wealth. Climate change can produce many big natural events, such as droughts, floods, storms, and many other phenomenon, the increasing of temperature, decreasing of cold days, the rise of sea level which impacts many people who live along the coastline, disease, and poverty. For instance, Cambodia’s hottest temperature record of 42.6 degrees Celsius (108.68 degrees F) was set in April 20152, while the hottest temperature used to be less than 40 degree Celsius in previous several years. Data produced by Cambodia government has predicts that monthly temperatures will increase between 0.013 degrees Celsius and 0.036 degrees Celsius per year by 2099.3 In addition, the average of cold nights per year has also been decreasing by 46 4.

With these changes of climate and the low adaptive ability of people, farmers encounter the difficulty in predicting the weather, level of rainfall and their agricultural productions as well as their economic stability. Climate change is a very controversial issue for scientist, politicians, policy makers, and people. It is an issue that people should be aware of and take

1 http://www.kh.undp.org/content/cambodia/en/home/operations/projects/environment_and_energy/cambo dia-climate-change-alliance.html

2 Maximiliano Herrera, Data Recorded by independent meteorologist, 2015.

3 Ministry of Environment, Cambodian Climate Change Strategic Plan 2014-2023, page 8.

4 UNDP Climate Change Country Profiles, Cambodia, C. McSweeney, M. New, and G. Lizcano, http://country- profiles.geog.ox.ac.uk any possible action on it, yet people’s awareness on this issue is remarkably low, not to mention the counter actions against climate change.

In regards to my personal interest, I became interested in climate change issue as I believe that this is the most concerned topic among other environmental issues as it relates to many causes and effects. Having the opportunity to study on international environmental law and participate in volunteer works, I got the chance to study about the law, practices and effects of climate change on nation, hence my interest on climate change issue in respect with national economics, public welfare, development and nature protection has been increasing.

Joining this program, I expect to learn more about environmental protection in other areas as well as to know more about environmental-related laws and policies and what a state can do to develop the country without affect much on the environment and sustain the resources for future generation. In order to know more about those regulations and practice, it is important that we need to understand more about climate change in general sense, in which I believe that those knowledge will be provided in this program. Furthermore, I believe that in addition to the above I would be able to enhance my understanding on how other countries promote public awareness and people’s participation in climate change action through discussions with other fellows, seminars and activities.