Mapping food security to target the needy

Rising rice prices are threatening Cambodia's poor despite the country's economic progress.

New buildings are shooting up all over Phnom Penh, modern shopping malls are opening, and more and more cars are crowding the streets of the capital city as the country’s economy continues to grow.

But even in the capital there are numerous street children and families who have to scavenge and beg to make ends meet.

In Cambodia's rural areas the situation is even worse.

"It is absolutely appalling in the countryside, where poverty and unemployment are omni-present," Thomas Keusters, director of the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) in Cambodia told IRIN.

"It strikes me if you drive around Phnom Penh you see a lot of development and improvement in the living conditions of the people in the urban areas. There is a definite economic boom in Cambodia. But drive 20km outside the capital city and you are in areas of very dire poverty," he said.

Online food security map

WFP recently launched an online updated food security map of Cambodia help identify the areas most vulnerable to food scarcity.

Photo: ReliefWeb

A map of Cambodia highlighting the 10 provinces identified by WFP as having critically high levels of malnutrition

"The atlas gives a clearer picture of where we need to target our assistance," Keusters said. "It will also help track how successful our efforts have been, and document this improvement over the coming years."

Malnutrition is the agency’s key indicator of poverty and food scarcity - and the picture for Cambodia remains grim even though there has been substantial improvement over the past 10 years.

According to UN figures, except for East Timor, Cambodia has the highest rate of malnutrition in the region.

Almost four out of every 10 Cambodian children suffer from stunted growth or are underweight – both key symptoms of malnutrition. This is 10 percent less than it was five years ago.

Government efforts

Aid officials say the government has backed co-ordinated efforts to combat Cambodia's poverty and boost development in the country's most vulnerable areas.

"The situation reports done by the UN and various development consultants are usually sponsored by the government with forewords written by the relevant minister," Keusters said.

"The atlas is merely a means to coordinate the information gathered and strengthen existing processes," he added. "It's in the spirit of the government and the donors' harmonisation and alignment policy, and more importantly the straightforward principle of: if you have many people who are targeting the same areas the effect of the assistance would be multiplied."

The web atlas is designed to function with simple browsers, small size screens and lower speed internet connections (56kb) to make it more accessible to people in Cambodia's rural areas.

It can be reached through the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), a focal point for assistance to the Cambodian government for the development of the agricultural and rural development sectors.

Photo: David Swanson/IRIN

A street scene in the bustling city of Siemriep

"The site is well presented and consolidates an expanse of useful information," said independent development specialist Robert Vokey, who is also a regular visitor to Cambodia.

"But I think that the site would benefit from a regularly updated 'Market Watch' feature which tracked the prices of basic staples from the point of view of consumers."

Need for assessment

Unfortunately much of the information in the atlas is outdated. The latest health information is from 2005 and the socio-economic survey was conducted in 2004.

"We plan to add information from the national census currently being conducted by the government with substantial financial assistance from UNFPA [the UN Population Fund] and others," Keusters said.

The results of that census will be known in early 2009 and should significantly upgrade the atlas and broaden the scope of the map.

"Food security goes far beyond the production of sufficient food production, and is affected by poverty, maternal health, access to clean water and health services, as well as shocks such as natural disasters," the WFP official added.

The map has identified 10 hot spots – the provinces of Kampong Spueu, Kampong Thum, Mondol Kiri, Odar Mean Chey, Pursat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veang, Rotanakiri, Siem Reap and Stung Treng – where malnutrition levels are critically high.

"I hope the atlas will improve the handling of hunger in Cambodia by providing an important reference point in formulating future interventions," Keusters said. "As Cambodia faces new challenges such as climate change, changes in food availability and prices, high energy prices, globalisation and many more, we all need to plan better."

The UN and development community in Cambodia have worked with the government, especially CARD, on the Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition Policy.

Photo: David Swanson/IRIN

Poverty and food insecurity are particularly acute in rural areas of Cambodia

"Improving food security and nutrition is a development priority of the Royal Government of Cambodia," said Tao Seng Huor, a senior minister and Vice Chairman of CARD.

"Our challenge is to have good cooperation and efficient coordination mechanisms linking a wide range of stakeholders. The online atlas will be one of the useful tools to help us guide the process."

A number of actions have already been recommended to help improve the food security situation in Cambodia. These involve improving agricultural production – improved inputs, diversification of crops, better irrigation, education and technical skills training and attention to water and sanitation.

"I'm very optimistic about the future," Keusters said. "These recommendations are not going to be taken up in a week, or month or even a year. But I'm certain that in three, four or five years, we will see progress."

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