Nearly 20,000 hectares of rice fields in Pursat province has been struck by drought conditions due to a mid-season dry spell, as El Niño continues to bring unusually hot weather and below-average rainfall across much of Cambodia, with conditions expected to persist until August 10.
According to the Pursat provincial administration, farmers had planted 136,885 hectares of wet-season rice as of July 17, slightly higher that the province’s target of 136,000 hectares.
Since early July, a prolonged dry spell has left 19,321 hectares of rice fields in Bakan and Kandieng districts short of irrigation water.
To help mitigate the impact, provincial governor Khoy Rida, accompanied by Kit Phal, deputy director of the Provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology, oversaw the installation of two mobile water pumps on July 20 to supply irrigation water to approximately 1,650 hectares of drought-affected rice fields in Phteah Prey commune of Pursat town, and Veal and Koh Chum communes in Kandieng district.
The governor instructed the water resources department to continue monitoring weather conditions and the impact on crops.
He also urged local authorities and relevant departments to cooperate in managing and distributing water fairly, transparently and efficiently to ensure farmers receive adequate irrigation supplies. At the same time, emergency response teams have been instructed to remain on standby to provide assistance to areas experiencing severe water shortages, particularly those located far from available water sources.
El Niño reducing rainfall
The provincial administration said El Niño is continuing to generate unusually hot weather and significantly reduced rainfall across most of Cambodia.
Although rainfall arrived at the beginning of the wet season in Pursat, most precipitation fell over the Cardamom Mountains, while the province’s central lowland areas received only limited rainfall, leaving many wet-season rice fields without sufficient irrigation water.
The water resources department has already begun pumping water from Reservoir No. 3, where storage has fallen to 6.5 million cubic metres, or 35% of capacity. Water releases from the reservoir are scheduled to end on July 21.
Reservoir No. 5 still holds approximately 22 million cubic metres of water, equivalent to 85% of capacity, with water releases expected to continue until reservoir levels fall to five metres. Authorities are also continuing emergency water distribution to the hardest-hit areas while supplementing flows into the Pursat River.
The water resources department, together with the departments of several other provinces, has warned that from July 20 to August 10, the influence of El Niño will weaken the southwest monsoon, resulting in rainfall well below the long-term average and increasing the risk of drought ranging from moderate to severe.
To minimise the impact, the department has called on local authorities to prepare effective water management and distribution plans.
Farmers have been advised to use available water efficiently, consider planting crop varieties that require less water, or postpone cultivation in areas where irrigation supplies are insufficient. The general public has also been urged to conserve water in their daily lives and to follow official weather advisories and updates issued by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology.
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