Climate change resilience in road sector in Cambodia
Rural Roads Improvement Project (RRIP) in Cambodia is nearing completion
The Rural Roads Improvement Project (RRIP) in Cambodia, financed by the Asian Development Bank, the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), the Korean Export-Import Bank and the Government of Cambodia, is nearing completion. The project has funded the construction and rehabilitation of 505 km of rural roads in seven provinces in the country.
NDF has financed the Climate Change Adaptation Output component of RRIP. The Swedish consultancy firm Sweroad has been contracted to help climate-proof approximately three km of “black spots” where rural roads are considered extra-sensitive to flooding. Sweroad is also responsible for preparing and implementing an emergency management system and developing a university curriculum for climate change adaptation. Furthermore, Sweroad’s tasks include building climate change adaptation capacity within the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD).
The capacity-building includes overall planning of rural road infrastructure and its resilience to climate change. In addition, the NDF funding will cover the construction of a number of water evacuation and retention ponds to allow rural farmers access to water for both irrigation and drinking during the dry season. As part of the climate-proofing of the road infrastructure, some 15,000 mango and Thnong trees (a local variety similar to rosewood) are being planted along the project roads. The trees, which will also reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, will belong to and be maintained by local communities which will benefit from, for example, the sales of fruits.
While RRIP is now near completion, implementation of a second project (RRIP II) has recently started, under which some 1,200 km of rural roads will be constructed and rehabilitated. NDF is funding a similar climate change adaptation component under the second phase.
