Climate-smart agriculture forum on climate resilience in the Tonle Sap and Mekong River
On December 27, 2024, the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) and the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT) organised a national forum on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and its role in building resilience to climate change in the Tonle Sap and Mekong River. This is a part of the EU Strengthening CSO capacity to scale up sustainable freshwater fisheries in Cambodia Project, implemented by IUCN, FACT, and CEPA and the Mekong River Climate Resilience Project (SCR) funded by Oxfam.
The project enhances the capacity of three CSOs to improve fisheries management, including sustainable financing, engage multi-stakeholders to accelerate knowledge sharing, and support CSOs research and government dialogues on fisheries management policy issues, including financing.
Co-chaired by Mr. Heng Chanthoeun, Deputy DG of the General Directorate of Policy and Strategy in the Ministry of Environment, Professor Kim Soben, Dean of Forestry Faculty, RUA, and Mr. Yok Senglong, Executive Director of FACT, the forum welcomed 200 participants including students, local communities and partners receiving funds from EU and Landesa.
The forum provided a platform to discuss how CSA addresses climate change challenges, particularly for small-scale farmers. Discussions centered on sustainable cultivation, fish farming, and eco-tourism as ways to mitigate climate change impacts.
Professor Soben emphasized RUA’s role in promoting CSA through farmer training programs and local organisations and that SCR is building the capacity of local authorities and communities to implement CSA.
Mr. Yok Senglong underscored that the forum enables knowledge sharing and develops strategies to develop policies for fisheries management and CSA.
From the government side, Mr. Heng Chanthoeun concluded the forum, urged to intensify efforts in finding practical solutions, and stressed that CSA is a key response to support local farmers and communities in overcoming climate-related challenges.
The forum not only provided opportunities for ideas sharing, but also set a foundation to develop technical guidelines on CSA, which will be released in 2025, to help farmers adapt to climate change and improve livelihoods.
The Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) and IUCN Bangladesh, with support from Agence Française de…
Each year, International Women's Day is an opportunity to recognise the women advancing change in…
On 14 January 2026, in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Forest Department and IUCN Bangladesh formally signed…