Cambodia
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The Kingdom of Cambodia, formerly under French protection,
became fully independent in 1953. Cambodia is still recovering from
the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot, during which 1.5 million
Cambodians were killed. Bordering Laos, Thailand and Vietnam,
Cambodians are mostly Khmers, descents of the Angkor Empire.
Poverty and hardship stemming from years of devastating conflict
are some of the development challenges facing Cambodia.
Contact our
Cambodia and Thailand country office
Development issues
Socio-economic issues
Health issues
Environmental issues
Socio-economic issues
While Cambodia's socio-economic position is not exceptional, it
has at least maintained growth. In fact over the last 15 years,
only seven other countries have experienced greater growth (real
GDP was estimated to have grown at over 13 per cent in 2005).
However, despite such growth Cambodia lags behind much of the world
in terms of human development (as measured by the Human
Development Index).
Poverty is widespread in Cambodia with almost 36 per cent of the
population living below the poverty line. In fact, over 34 per cent
of the population live on less than $1 a day and over 77 per cent
of the population live on less than $2 a day (2004).
For up-to-date information and statistics on socio-economic
development issues in Cambodia, please refer to the following
sources:
UNDP Human Development Reports Website - Cambodia Country
Sheet
Health issues
The relatively high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia is an
additional challenge to the current human development situation.
Although the HIV prevalence rate in Cambodia has been falling over
the last few years the estimated national adult (aged 15-49) HIV
prevalence rate remains at 1.6 per cent.
The spectre of HIV/AIDS impacts on the healthcare system often
already run down by economic crises and inadequate resource
allocation. For a country like Cambodia, where there is only one
doctor for every 6250 people (2000) and one nurse for every 1639,
this is especially true. Further, HIV/AIDS, along with increased
poverty and food insecurity, adds to the high workload of available
health workers. Unsurprisingly, brain drain from the public sector
is also an aggravating factor with about a quarter of the doctors
in private practice, inaccessible to the most vulnerable.
For up-to-date information and statistics on HIV/AIDS in
Cambodia and in general, please refer to the following sites:
UNAIDS page on Cambodia
WHO
Cambodia country profile (general health information on
Cambodia)
Environmental issues
Sustainable environmental practices are crucial for Cambodia's
long term development (as they are for all countries). Two of the
more major environmental problems relate to Cambodia's two most
important natural resources; its fish and forests.
Deforestation is the most serious threat to Cambodia's
environment. There have been many causes of deforestation in
Cambodia: bombings and defoliants during the Vietnam War, harmful
agricultural practices under the Khmer Rouge, and timber exports in
the period since. Such deforestation has resulted in alternate
flooding and drought of the rivers, threatening the existence of
the many endangered animals that live there (such as the Bengal
tiger, Java rhinoceros, bears, and elephants) and significant
hardship for much of the population who rely on their surrounding
environment.
Overfishing and illegal fishing have also resulted in a decline
in the fish stocks in Cambodia (along with deforestation and
drought). Given that fish forms one of the main staples of the
majority of Cambodian diets (along with rice) this is especially
serious.
For further information, please refer to the following
resources:
World Bank's page on Cambodia's
environment
Cambodian Government's page on land and
resources