Day: October 4, 2022

Rice output in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam is forecast to fall this year but stay above five-year averages in Cambodia and Thailand, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
In a quarterly report released in Rome late Monday, the FAO forecast Cambodia’s output at 11.5 million tonnes this year, down from 11.7 million last year but above the five-year average of 11.1 million.
Production is forecast at 32.8 million tonnes in Thailand, down from 33.2 million and above the average of 31.8 million, and 42.8 million tonnes in Vietnam, down from 43.9 million but below the average of 43.4 million.
Elsewhere in East and South Asia, the UN agency forecast below-average production in North Korea, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka — “mainly due to limited availability and high prices of agricultural inputs” — as well as
Bhutan, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea. But above-average output is forecast for Bangladesh, India and China.
For corn, the FAO forecast “bumper outputs” in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines but below-average production in Vietnam.
GROWING ACUTE FOOD INSECURITY
The FAO said acute food insecurity — no food for a day or more — had risen in East and South Asia this year.
“The aggregate number of people facing acute food insecurity has increased since early 2022, particularly in countries that rely heavily on food imports considering the high international prices of basic food commodities.
“Elevated international and domestic prices of fertilisers and energy have driven up production costs, contributing to higher domestic food prices.
“The depreciation of the national currencies in many importing countries has made imports costlier,” the UN agency said, highlighting increasing food inflation rates in Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The FAO said food insecurity was expected to “worsen” in Pakistan following recent floods and possibly also North Korea amid economic constraints and expectations for a reduced harvest this year.
In Bangladesh, food insecurity “remains fragile” for about a million refugees from Myanmar. In Myanmar itself, the political crisis “continues to compromise the already difficult food security situation,” the FAO said.
For the whole of Asia, nine countries need external assistance for food — including North Korea and Sri Lanka, both suffering “widespread lack of access to food”, and Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan which face “severe localized food insecurity,” the UN agency said.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Cambodia has highlighted the need to enhance regional connectivity at the 13th ASEAN Connectivity Symposium, according to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The point was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Prak Sokhonn while presiding over the symposium themed “Enhancing Connectivity Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable, and Resilient ASEAN Community Post 2025 Vision” here in Phnom Penh on Oct. 3.
The future of this region will depend on our regional competitiveness, which can only come from a well-connected region that acts in unison, he emphasised, adding that our regional supply chains need to remain efficient and resilient.
ASEAN has to engage with her development partners to initiate various connectivity initiatives and cooperation projects all across our region. For ASEAN, the approach is about getting maximum synergy from all the various existing connectivity initiatives to extract the necessary value added.
The deputy prime minister also underlined that the entry into force of the mega free trade RCEP will drive the regional economy.
There is a need to align the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC 2025) so that it can act as the nexus linking various strategies and initiatives in the region to support our inclusive, sustainable and resilient ASEAN, he said.
H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN stressed the need for ASEAN to be resilient, adaptable and responsive to ever-changing needs.
He further shared that ASEAN must work with all partners in the short-, medium- and long-term, and demonstrate that the resources they invested in the region will benefit them as much as it benefits ASEAN.
On his part, the President of ERIA Professor Hidetoshi Nishimura accentuated the importance of digital connection in the implementation of MPAC 2025.
He made a reference to ERIA’s work on the Comprehensive Asia Development Plan 3.0, which highlights strategies for establishing a more integrated, innovative, inclusive and sustainable economy in ASEAN and East Asia by promoting physical and digital connectivity in the region.
The ASEAN Connectivity Symposium is an annual flagship event inaugurated in 2010, and it continues to serve as a platform to engage stakeholders to identify potential areas of cooperation to enhance the implementation of MPAC 2025 and the wider ASEAN Connectivity agenda.
The event attracted over 160 participants including ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) members, representatives from ASEAN sectorial bodies, dialogue partners, multilateral organisations, and private sector.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

More rain, accompanied by thunder, lightning and gusts, is expected across Cambodia from Oct. 5 to 11.
The new weather forecast was shared by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM) this morning, calling on the public to remain vigilant.
For the temperature, during the said period, it would vary between 22 and 33 degrees Celsius for the central lowland areas, and from 21 to 32 for the highland areas, said the same source.
In the coastal regions, MOWRAM pointed out, the temperature would be between 22 and 31 degrees Celsius.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) announced Tuesday the approval of a “milestone” document revising preliminary design guidance for hydropower projects and separate new guidelines on cross-border environmental impact assessments.
“This is a historic breakthrough for MRC cooperation after years of discussion,” said Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, Chief Executive at the MRC Secretariat in Vientiane.
“The two guidelines point out exactly what to do in minimising cross-border environmental impacts,” Dr Anoulak said.
“Members will see how beneficial the guidance is, not just to their own country and local communities, but in working together with their neighbours.”
The revised design guidance seeks to minimize impacts on ecosystems and communities while the environmental guidelines aim to measure how a project in one country affects a neighbouring country.
Dr. Anoulak said the updated guidance was “gearing us toward projects that are both economically viable and environmentally friendly (and) more protective of the river’s resources, while safeguarding of people’s livelihoods.”
A statement said the revised design guidance would measure how “any large water infrastructure” affects issues that may adversely impact river ecosystems and vulnerable communities at a cross-border or regional level — like water flow, sediment transport, water quality and fisheries.
Talks on revising the design guidance for hydropower projects follow the emergence of gaps in initial guidelines approved in 2009.
These covered six areas — sediment transport and geomorphology, water quality, aquatic life, fish and fisheries, dam safety, and navigation.
IMPLICATIONS FOR FISHING AND FARMING HOUSEHOLDS
Gaps since identified are cross-border aspects of hydrology and hydraulics as well as riparian communities and river-based livelihoods.
“These have implications for the millions of fishing and farming families who somehow rely on the Mekong for daily sustenance,” the statement said.
“For example, hydrology and hydraulics are critical for how they regulate water flow, through the volume of water released or withheld.
“Not only can that affect hydropower projects downriver, but too much of a disturbance can negatively impact both the ecosystem and the socio-economics of millions of Southeast Asians who depend on the Mekong mainstream and its tributaries.”
For existing hydropower projects, the statement said the updated document could guide operations.
“For incoming projects, it can offer guidance for good design, plus effective mitigation measures regarding construction and operation,” it added.
The environmental impact assessment guidelines, completed after 18 years of talks, are expected to supplement each country’s own laws and build trust among the four MRC members — Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
The MRC Joint Committee — a body comprising senior water and environment officials from the four countries who meet twice a year — approved the two documents at a meeting in Vientiane last Friday.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

H.E. Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba, began his three-day official visit in Cambodia this afternoon, at the invitation of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
According to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during the visit, H.E. Manuel Marrero Cruz will be granted a Royal Audience by His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, at the Royal Palace.
The Cuban Premier will also pay courtesy calls on Samdech Vibol Sena Pheakdei Say Chhum, President of the Senate, and Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly.
H.E. the Prime Minister of Cuba will have a bilateral meeting with Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen. The two Prime Ministers will preside over the signing ceremony of a number of documents that will expand the bilateral cooperation in sports, education, and culture as well as in other domains.
H.E. Manuel Marrero Cruz will also lay wreaths at the Independence Monument and the Royal Memorial Statue of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk “Preah Borom Ratanak Kaudh”, the late King-Father of Cambodia.
The visit of H.E. Manuel Marrero Cruz will reaffirm the long-standing and friendly relations between Cambodia and Cuba and underscores the need to further deepen and broaden cooperation for the greater benefits of the two countries and peoples.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press