Cambodia

1. Cambodia Infrastructure and Clean Water

2. Stats • Southeast Asia • 15.5 million people • 8% population lives in Phnom Penh, 20% in other urban areas, 72% in rural areas • 181,000 sq km • GDP = $39 billion • Tonle Sap Lake = main source of freshwater

3. Poverty • About 4 million people live on $1.25/day • Rural areas lack basic infrastructure • Infant mortality rate is 51.3 per 1,000 births - 36th in world rankings • Life expectancy is 63.78 years - 179 in world rankings

4. Khmer Rouge Regime • Came into power in 1975, lasted into the ‘90s • Maoist and Marxist-Leninist goals • “wanted to transform Cambodia into a rural, classless society in which there were no rich people, no poor people, and no exploitation” • Measures • abolished money, free markets, normal schooling, private property, foreign clothing styles, religious practices, and traditional Khmer culture”

5. Khmer Rouge Effects • Genocide led to the deaths of 2-4 million Cambodian citizens • Targets for execution included educated people such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and teachers • Loss of intellectuals led to a loss of economic development, investment, and human capital

6. Corruption • Ranked 160 out of 177 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index • Bribes required for medical care, court verdicts, traffic violations, marriage and birth certificates • Aid filters through corrupt government officials who take a cut • Money meant to build infrastructure doesn’t go where it’s intended

7. Infrastructure • Local officials put more focus on developing schools and roads but forget about water supply • Corrupt government, limited education opportunities, few jobs, high income inequality all result in very little FDI

9. Cambodia’s Water Problem • 6.3 million Cambodians have no access to clean water or basic sanitation • Only 40% of people in rural areas have clean water, 80% in the capital of Phnom Penh

10. Arsenic Poisoning • 1607 villages and Phnom Penh are considered to be at risk, or about 2.25 million people • Found in tube wells - shallow, dug wells have lower levels of arsenic concentrations

11. Water Contamination Causes • Contamination comes from domestic, agricultural, and industrial pollution • Groundwater has naturally high levels of arsenic, fluoride, and nitrate • Poor storage and handling practices also contribute to contamination

12. Floating Villages • 8 floating villages on the Tonle Sap lake • About 800 households, holding 6,000 people • No latrines, no way of purifying the water

14. Other problems • Melting Himalayan peaks and monsoon season used to force water upstream and into the forests, which would become fish nurseries. • As the forests drained back into the lake, the fishermen would have plenty of fish to catch • Irregular wet seasons and dam building on the Mekong in China have led to diminished flows downriver and less fish

15. Effects of Water Contamination • Lack of clean water leads to the spread of waterborne illnesses, including: • Diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever • Water-related illnesses kill about 3 million people every year • 90% are children under the age of 5 • 83/1,000 children die before age 5

16. Economic Effects • $448 million in economic losses due to poor sanitation • Health, water, welfare, and tourism costs • Affects children in schools • Less focused • Decreased attendance rates

18. Solutions • Health and hygiene education • Rainwater storage tanks for drinking/cooking water • Hand washing stations • Water purification system at a school, hospital, orphanage, etc. • Stop corruption