Children’s vulnerability to climate and
environmental hazards, shocks, and stresses
All children face challenges associated with climate
change and a degrading natural environment. Some children, however more
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than others. This depends largely
on the availability, quality, equity, and sustainability of key and essential
services for children, including WASH, healthcare, nutrition, education, and
social protection, among others. The resilience of services significantly
affects the capacity of individuals and communities to manage and recover
quickly from the impacts of climate shocks.
Unfortunately, not only does a child’s lack of
access to these essential services increase their vulnerability to climate
change, but climate change is likely to make it more difficult for children to
obtain access to those key essential services. Thus, a vicious cycle is
created, pushing the most vulnerable children further into poverty, at the same
time as increasing their risk of experiencing the worst effects of climate
change. Moreover, vulnerabilities and exposures also interact with each other, potentially
magnifying the effects. This vicious cycle is further exacerbated by a lack of
recognition of children’s voice and agency, which often undermines any capacity
that children have to respond and adapt.
IN CAMBODIA:
RIVERINE
FLOODING
Almost half of the population of children in
Cambodia (47 percent) are exposed to riverine flooding. The Mekong River and Tonle
Sap River tributaries frequently overflow, inundating Kampong Cham, Kratie,
Kandal, Prey Veng, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, and Takeo. Cambodia is also prone
to flash floods, especially during the monsoon season.
Riverine flooding has caused significant damage to
livelihoods, social infrastructure, and the economy in Cambodia. For example,
according to the UNISDR, Cambodia loses approximately USD 250 million per year
on average due to floods (just over 1 percent of GDP). Effective flood risk
management is needed to reduce potential losses and damages related to floods
in the country.
Climate models predict an increase in average annual
rainfall, particularly during the wet season, which is expected to raise peak discharge
in rivers and streams, leading to an increased frequency, duration, and
severity of flooding. However, upstream hydropower developments along the
Mekong and its tributaries, may serve to counteract this, by causing a
reduction in rainy season flows
VECTOR-BORNE
DISEASES
Several arboviruses, including dengue and Japanese
encephalitis, are rife in Cambodia and 6.1 million children are living in areas
exposed to one or more disease vectors according to the CCRI. For example,
Cambodia’s entire population of children are exposed to dengue, 96 percent of
children are at risk of aedes, and 59 percent are exposed to zika. Research has
shown that education facilities in Cambodia are high risk areas for
vector-borne disease transmission, thus necessitating vector control methods in
schools.
SOIL
AND WATER POLLUTION
The main industries contributing to soil and water
pollution in Cambodia include agriculture, garment factories, brick kilns, rice
milling, and rubber processing. Polluted water sources remain a primary
concern, especially in rural areas given that limited WASH infrastructure
exists outside of urban centres. Almost half of all children and adolescents
under the age of 20 are exposed to lead pollution (48 percent), posing
significant risks to physical and neurological development, especially in young
children. Additionally, 4.5 million children (74 percent) live in areas with
high pesticide pollution risk. Pesticide exposure can result in acute or
chronic poisoning, with symptoms ranging from skin irritation to delayed
development, reproductive abnormalities, cancer, and even death.
COASTAL
FLOODING
Coastal flood risk is high in Cambodia, scoring 7.1
on the CCRI, although riverine and flash flooding are more prominent. The coastal
region on the Gulf of Thailand is vulnerable to cyclone and tsunami-induced
storm surges, but to a lesser extent than other LDCs. Sea-level rise is
expected to pose more serious threats to coastal communities in the future,
which already face storm surges, high tides, beach erosion, and seawater
intrusion. Without adequate resilience measures, the impacts of coastal
flooding will undoubtedly worsen, especially in fishing and agricultural
communities in the country’s south-western region.
HEALTH
AND NUTRITION
Cambodia’s health system has witnessed considerable
advances over the past few decades. Preliminary findings of the Cambodia
Demographic Health Survey (CDHS 2021-22) show that compared to 2014, overall
child mortality and maternal mortality have improved, with substantial
reductions in under-5 mortality, infant mortality and neonatal mortality. There
has also been a decline in childhood stunting from 34 percent in 2014 to 22
percent in 2021, however the prevalence of childhood wasting, or acute
malnutrition remains unchanged, at 10 percent over the past years. Some
provinces have wasting rates that exceed emergency levels over 15 percent.
Micronutrient deficiencies also remain persistent,
especially for children and women of reproductive age, where an estimated 36.5
percent of Cambodian pregnant women were anaemic in 2019. Key drivers of
malnutrition likely include inadequate care and feeding of infants and young
children, inadequate WASH, poverty, limited access to quality services and low
maternal education.
Climate models predict that by 2050, there could be
up to 59 climate-related fatalities per million people in Cambodia due to a
lack of food, under high emission scenarios (RCP8.5), Greater investments into
care for children, the rural poor, and maternal health are crucial to reduce
vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
In comparison to other LDCs, Cambodia has relatively
lower scores for other vulnerability components, including poverty assets and
social protection, education, and WASH. Nevertheless, there are still areas of
improvement to be made to increase the resilience and adaptiveness of essential
child services.
WASH
Despite advancements in WASH systems and practices,
children continue to be stunted and die from preventable WASH related causes,
as a result of limited access to clean water, toilets and hand-washing
facilities. Less than half of households have access to basic drinking water
services (44 percent) and just 28 percent of households are drinking water from
safely managed services. Access to hygiene and sanitation services has seen
improvements. In 2020, 69 percent of households had at least basic sanitation
and only 14 percent of the population had no handwashing facilities.
POVERTY
AND SOCIAL PROTECTION
In 2020, around 21 percent of Cambodian children
lived in households with income below the national poverty line.Inadequate
infrastructure and access to basic services remain key challenges keeping
Cambodian children in poverty. For example, the absence of year-round access to
all-weather roads impacts Cambodian food value chains, as well as to health, education,
and other public services. Regarding social protection, only 10 percent of
households are receiving child or family benefits and 38 percent of the
population above the age of 15 are unable to come up with emergency funds. In
the absence of adaptive and shock responsive social protection, poor children
and families are likely to be pushed even further into poverty.
EDUCATION
Cambodia has made remarkable progress in education.
The adjusted net attendance rate for children of primary school age was
approximately 93 percent in 2014.Youth literacy rates also remain high at 92
percent. Nonetheless, Cambodian children continue to fall short of
age-appropriate learning levels. For example, in primary schools, roughly a
quarter of students in Grade 3 are unable to write a single word in a dictation
exam and only 27 percent of 3 to 5-year-olds are developmentally on track in
literacy and numeracy.
Recent national learning assessment results indicate
only 55 percent and 26 percent of grade 6 students achieve minimum proficiency
in Khmer language and mathematics respectively. Inadequate learning in early
years, poor nutrition, a lack of qualified teachers and insufficient WASH
infrastructure in schools are the main drivers of poor educational development.
Discrimination towards disabled children still exists and many parents,
particularly in rural and impoverished areas, do not see the value of education
or cannot afford to send their children to school.
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