8 research outputs found
Dynamique des activités des ménages ruraux et des pauvretés dans les agro-écosystÚmes diversifiés du lac Tonle Sap au Cambodge
The overall objective of the PhD researchis to understand the dynamics of rural households activities in the vicinity of the Tonle Sap Lake (TSL) in Battambang province, Cambodia and to identify their interactions with the transformations of the local agro-ecosystem.. The research deeply investigates the history of land use and of the householdsâ activity systems under various drivers of change (policy, flood pulse, demography). The study proposes different scenarios and assesses their consequences on the local households, taking into consideration their strategies to adapt to shocks and stresses. The findings highlight the close linkages between the rural livelihoods and the ecosystem services of TSL. Hydrological changes, added to climate change, reduce water availability and the land flooded (and silted) annually by the flood. The governmental policy significantly impacts on the transformation of the households economies, especially on land access, crops diversity, and fishing expansion. Population growth and food demand puts more and more pressure on natural resources. The study identifies six household types based on production factors, livelihood strategies and economic situation. The coping strategies mainly involve cultivation practices on paddy and other crops, fishing, animal husbandry, aquaculture and non-farms non-fishing activities. The better-off household types are those who are able to diversify their production, whereas the worse-off household types are the Landless people, the Rice mono-croppers, and Small fishermen. The study suggests that policy implication can however contribute to maximising the long-term economic situation of the three poor household types by regulating the extension of the cultivation over the inundated forest, securing the access and land tenure of the most disadvantaged stakeholders and creating oppportunities of access to capital and inputs to all three types, providing adapted credit and loan systems to the poor households, providing adapted agricultural extension to Landless and Rice mono-croppers, supporting floating gardens extension to the Small Fishermen; improving social healthcare services and good local governance at all local levels.Keywords: Transformation of Agrarian Systems, Diversification of Activity System, Agriculture, Fishery, Rural Household, Ecosystem Services, Tonle Sap Lake, Strategy, Poverty, Resilience, Battambang, Cambodia.Lâobjectif gĂ©nĂ©ral de cette recherche est de comprendre les dynamiques Ă©conomiques des mĂ©nages ruraux en bordure du Lac Tonle Sap dans la province de Battambang au Cambodge, et de relier celles-ci aux transformations de lâagroecosystĂšme local. La recherche sâintĂ©resse Ă lâhistoire de la mise en valeur des terres et du Lac sous lâinfluence des Ă©volutions dĂ©mographiques, des politiques publiques et des changements environnementaux, en particulier dans le rĂ©gime de crue du Grand Lac.Les rĂ©sultats soulignent la relation entre les systĂšmes de production des mĂ©nages et les services assurĂ©s par lâĂ©cosystĂšme. Les changements hydrologiques et climatiques rĂ©duisent lâaccĂšs Ă lâeau agricole et restreignent les espaces inondĂ©s et fertilisĂ©s par la crue annuelle. Les politiques publiques contribuent Ă la transformation des Ă©conomies familiales, en particulier au travers de lâaccĂšs au foncier, aux ressources gĂ©nĂ©tiques cultivĂ©es et aux droits de pĂȘche.La recherche identifie six types de systĂšmes de production, sur la base des moyens de production, des stratĂ©gies mises en place par les familles et des rĂ©sultats Ă©conomiques quâelles obtiennent. Les stratĂ©gies dâadaptation au changement portent sur les systĂšmes de culture et dâĂ©levage, sur les modes de pĂȘche et dâaquaculture, ainsi que sur les activitĂ©s complĂ©mentaires hors pĂȘche et hors agriculture. Les mieux placĂ©s pour profiter des changements sont ceux qui ont les moyens de diversifier leurs activitĂ©s, alors que les catĂ©gories « sansâterre », « monocultivateurs de paddy » et « petits pĂȘcheurs » sont plutĂŽt pĂ©nalisĂ©s. Les politiques publiques peuvent nĂ©anmoins contribuer Ă maximiser la rĂ©sistance et la rĂ©silience de ces trois catĂ©gories, en particulier en rĂ©gulant lâexpansion des cultures sur la foret inondĂ©e, en y sĂ©curisant lâaccĂšs au foncier des moins bien dotĂ©s, en subventionnant certains inputs essentiels, en organisant des systĂšmes de crĂ©dit adaptĂ©s les mĂ©nages pauvres, en organisant des services de conseil adaptĂ©s pour les mĂ©nages sans terre et les monocultivateurs de paddy, en soutenant lâextension des jardins flottants pour les petits pĂȘcheurs et enfin en favorisant la santĂ© publique et la bonne gouvernance locale.Mots clĂ©s: Transformation des systĂšmes agraires, Diversification des SystĂšmes dâactivitĂ©, MĂ©nages ruraux, Agriculture, PĂȘche, Services environnementaux, StratĂ©gie, PauvretĂ©, RĂ©silience, Lac Tonle Sap, Battambang, Cambodia
Dynamique des activités des ménages ruraux et des pauvretés dans les agro-écosystÚmes diversifiés du lac Tonle Sap au Cambodge
The overall objective of the PhD researchis to understand the dynamics of rural households activities in the vicinity of the Tonle Sap Lake (TSL) in Battambang province, Cambodia and to identify their interactions with the transformations of the local agro-ecosystem.. The research deeply investigates the history of land use and of the householdsâ activity systems under various drivers of change (policy, flood pulse, demography). The study proposes different scenarios and assesses their consequences on the local households, taking into consideration their strategies to adapt to shocks and stresses. The findings highlight the close linkages between the rural livelihoods and the ecosystem services of TSL. Hydrological changes, added to climate change, reduce water availability and the land flooded (and silted) annually by the flood. The governmental policy significantly impacts on the transformation of the households economies, especially on land access, crops diversity, and fishing expansion. Population growth and food demand puts more and more pressure on natural resources. The study identifies six household types based on production factors, livelihood strategies and economic situation. The coping strategies mainly involve cultivation practices on paddy and other crops, fishing, animal husbandry, aquaculture and non-farms non-fishing activities. The better-off household types are those who are able to diversify their production, whereas the worse-off household types are the Landless people, the Rice mono-croppers, and Small fishermen. The study suggests that policy implication can however contribute to maximising the long-term economic situation of the three poor household types by regulating the extension of the cultivation over the inundated forest, securing the access and land tenure of the most disadvantaged stakeholders and creating oppportunities of access to capital and inputs to all three types, providing adapted credit and loan systems to the poor households, providing adapted agricultural extension to Landless and Rice mono-croppers, supporting floating gardens extension to the Small Fishermen; improving social healthcare services and good local governance at all local levels.Keywords: Transformation of Agrarian Systems, Diversification of Activity System, Agriculture, Fishery, Rural Household, Ecosystem Services, Tonle Sap Lake, Strategy, Poverty, Resilience, Battambang, Cambodia.Lâobjectif gĂ©nĂ©ral de cette recherche est de comprendre les dynamiques Ă©conomiques des mĂ©nages ruraux en bordure du Lac Tonle Sap dans la province de Battambang au Cambodge, et de relier celles-ci aux transformations de lâagroecosystĂšme local. La recherche sâintĂ©resse Ă lâhistoire de la mise en valeur des terres et du Lac sous lâinfluence des Ă©volutions dĂ©mographiques, des politiques publiques et des changements environnementaux, en particulier dans le rĂ©gime de crue du Grand Lac.Les rĂ©sultats soulignent la relation entre les systĂšmes de production des mĂ©nages et les services assurĂ©s par lâĂ©cosystĂšme. Les changements hydrologiques et climatiques rĂ©duisent lâaccĂšs Ă lâeau agricole et restreignent les espaces inondĂ©s et fertilisĂ©s par la crue annuelle. Les politiques publiques contribuent Ă la transformation des Ă©conomies familiales, en particulier au travers de lâaccĂšs au foncier, aux ressources gĂ©nĂ©tiques cultivĂ©es et aux droits de pĂȘche.La recherche identifie six types de systĂšmes de production, sur la base des moyens de production, des stratĂ©gies mises en place par les familles et des rĂ©sultats Ă©conomiques quâelles obtiennent. Les stratĂ©gies dâadaptation au changement portent sur les systĂšmes de culture et dâĂ©levage, sur les modes de pĂȘche et dâaquaculture, ainsi que sur les activitĂ©s complĂ©mentaires hors pĂȘche et hors agriculture. Les mieux placĂ©s pour profiter des changements sont ceux qui ont les moyens de diversifier leurs activitĂ©s, alors que les catĂ©gories « sansâterre », « monocultivateurs de paddy » et « petits pĂȘcheurs » sont plutĂŽt pĂ©nalisĂ©s. Les politiques publiques peuvent nĂ©anmoins contribuer Ă maximiser la rĂ©sistance et la rĂ©silience de ces trois catĂ©gories, en particulier en rĂ©gulant lâexpansion des cultures sur la foret inondĂ©e, en y sĂ©curisant lâaccĂšs au foncier des moins bien dotĂ©s, en subventionnant certains inputs essentiels, en organisant des systĂšmes de crĂ©dit adaptĂ©s les mĂ©nages pauvres, en organisant des services de conseil adaptĂ©s pour les mĂ©nages sans terre et les monocultivateurs de paddy, en soutenant lâextension des jardins flottants pour les petits pĂȘcheurs et enfin en favorisant la santĂ© publique et la bonne gouvernance locale.Mots clĂ©s: Transformation des systĂšmes agraires, Diversification des SystĂšmes dâactivitĂ©, MĂ©nages ruraux, Agriculture, PĂȘche, Services environnementaux, StratĂ©gie, PauvretĂ©, RĂ©silience, Lac Tonle Sap, Battambang, Cambodia
Dynamics of Rural household activities and poverty at diversified agro-ecosystems of Tonle Sap lake in Battambang province, Cambodia
Lâobjectif gĂ©nĂ©ral de cette recherche est de comprendre les dynamiques Ă©conomiques des mĂ©nages ruraux en bordure du Lac Tonle Sap dans la province de Battambang au Cambodge, et de relier celles-ci aux transformations de lâagroecosystĂšme local. La recherche sâintĂ©resse Ă lâhistoire de la mise en valeur des terres et du Lac sous lâinfluence des Ă©volutions dĂ©mographiques, des politiques publiques et des changements environnementaux, en particulier dans le rĂ©gime de crue du Grand Lac.Les rĂ©sultats soulignent la relation entre les systĂšmes de production des mĂ©nages et les services assurĂ©s par lâĂ©cosystĂšme. Les changements hydrologiques et climatiques rĂ©duisent lâaccĂšs Ă lâeau agricole et restreignent les espaces inondĂ©s et fertilisĂ©s par la crue annuelle. Les politiques publiques contribuent Ă la transformation des Ă©conomies familiales, en particulier au travers de lâaccĂšs au foncier, aux ressources gĂ©nĂ©tiques cultivĂ©es et aux droits de pĂȘche.La recherche identifie six types de systĂšmes de production, sur la base des moyens de production, des stratĂ©gies mises en place par les familles et des rĂ©sultats Ă©conomiques quâelles obtiennent. Les stratĂ©gies dâadaptation au changement portent sur les systĂšmes de culture et dâĂ©levage, sur les modes de pĂȘche et dâaquaculture, ainsi que sur les activitĂ©s complĂ©mentaires hors pĂȘche et hors agriculture. Les mieux placĂ©s pour profiter des changements sont ceux qui ont les moyens de diversifier leurs activitĂ©s, alors que les catĂ©gories « sansâterre », « monocultivateurs de paddy » et « petits pĂȘcheurs » sont plutĂŽt pĂ©nalisĂ©s. Les politiques publiques peuvent nĂ©anmoins contribuer Ă maximiser la rĂ©sistance et la rĂ©silience de ces trois catĂ©gories, en particulier en rĂ©gulant lâexpansion des cultures sur la foret inondĂ©e, en y sĂ©curisant lâaccĂšs au foncier des moins bien dotĂ©s, en subventionnant certains inputs essentiels, en organisant des systĂšmes de crĂ©dit adaptĂ©s les mĂ©nages pauvres, en organisant des services de conseil adaptĂ©s pour les mĂ©nages sans terre et les monocultivateurs de paddy, en soutenant lâextension des jardins flottants pour les petits pĂȘcheurs et enfin en favorisant la santĂ© publique et la bonne gouvernance locale.Mots clĂ©s: Transformation des systĂšmes agraires, Diversification des SystĂšmes dâactivitĂ©, MĂ©nages ruraux, Agriculture, PĂȘche, Services environnementaux, StratĂ©gie, PauvretĂ©, RĂ©silience, Lac Tonle Sap, Battambang, Cambodia.The overall objective of the PhD researchis to understand the dynamics of rural households activities in the vicinity of the Tonle Sap Lake (TSL) in Battambang province, Cambodia and to identify their interactions with the transformations of the local agro-ecosystem.. The research deeply investigates the history of land use and of the householdsâ activity systems under various drivers of change (policy, flood pulse, demography). The study proposes different scenarios and assesses their consequences on the local households, taking into consideration their strategies to adapt to shocks and stresses. The findings highlight the close linkages between the rural livelihoods and the ecosystem services of TSL. Hydrological changes, added to climate change, reduce water availability and the land flooded (and silted) annually by the flood. The governmental policy significantly impacts on the transformation of the households economies, especially on land access, crops diversity, and fishing expansion. Population growth and food demand puts more and more pressure on natural resources. The study identifies six household types based on production factors, livelihood strategies and economic situation. The coping strategies mainly involve cultivation practices on paddy and other crops, fishing, animal husbandry, aquaculture and non-farms non-fishing activities. The better-off household types are those who are able to diversify their production, whereas the worse-off household types are the Landless people, the Rice mono-croppers, and Small fishermen. The study suggests that policy implication can however contribute to maximising the long-term economic situation of the three poor household types by regulating the extension of the cultivation over the inundated forest, securing the access and land tenure of the most disadvantaged stakeholders and creating oppportunities of access to capital and inputs to all three types, providing adapted credit and loan systems to the poor households, providing adapted agricultural extension to Landless and Rice mono-croppers, supporting floating gardens extension to the Small Fishermen; improving social healthcare services and good local governance at all local levels.Keywords: Transformation of Agrarian Systems, Diversification of Activity System, Agriculture, Fishery, Rural Household, Ecosystem Services, Tonle Sap Lake, Strategy, Poverty, Resilience, Battambang, Cambodia
The paradoxical values of traditional deep water floating rice systems
Deep water floating rice (DW-FR) production has declined substantially across Asia, despite being a source of nutritious, culturally-important and flood-adapted food. Low perceived commercial value, and the desire for increased rice exports, has led to intensified farming of high yielding variety (HYV) rice. We used a commodity value-chain analysis to investigate the values of DW-FR in Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Poor communication and value-transference along the supply chain lead to farmers receiving poor returns for DW-FR despite its high ecological, cultural and commercial value in downstream markets. With minor adjustments, DW-FR systems could provide more sustainable livelihoods for farmers and greater food system security. For better returns we suggest implementation of improvements to breeding, farming, transport, processing, better access to finance, improved communication and development of other rice products.This work was supported by the Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Environment
Fund 2016 project number R16-0701
Termite mounds in Cambodian paddy fields. Are they always kept for improving soil quality?
International audienceThe utilization of termite mounds for the improvement of soil fertility is a worldwide practice and usually explained by the specific properties of this biogenic material. In Cambodia, farmers also use termite mound soils as amendments with the aim to improve the fertility of paddy fields. The first objective of this study was, therefore, to describe the physical and chemical properties of this material and, consequently, to determine its potential for improving soil fertility. A second objective was to consider farmer’s perception and to quantify the diversity of services provided by termite mounds. We confirmed the specific soil properties of termite mounds but showed that their positive influence on soil chemical fertility and water retention are only significant in very sandy soil (-40-80% sand) while they remain limited in less sandy soil (~40 and 60% of sand). However, termite mounds are considered useful by farmers independently of the soil condition, mostly because this soil material is considered to positively increase soil fertility but also because they host a specific biodiversity which can be used for medicinal purposes or because consumed, then increasing population livelihood. Our work shows the discrepancy between the perception of farmers and the real impact of termite mounds on soil fertility as well as the diversity of services delivered by biodiversity in paddy fields
Abundance, perceptions and utilizations of termite mounds in Cambodia
International audienceIn the Lower Mekong Basin, paddy fields often appear as mosaics, with soil mounds covered by trees or other plants in a spotty distribution. These soil mounds are commonly named termite âlenticular moundsâ because termite bioturbation is considered to be at their origin. Termite mounds host a large diversity of animals and plants, increasing landscape patchiness. Because the preservation of these islands of biodiversity is threatened by modern agricultural practices, the aim of this study was to quantify their abundance and the services they provide to the local population. The abundance of mounds and their use by the population were quantified in a catchment in Cambodia. We found that mounds density reached ~2 mounds haâ1. Interviews carried out within the catchment showed that most of the interviewees used mounds for increasing the fertility of their field and for the cultivation of rice and other plants (e.g. sponge gourd and pumpkin). In addition to their potential to increase plant productivity, the survey revealed that animals (rats and snakes), mushrooms and 13 plant species found on or in mounds were consumed by the population. In addition to potentially contributing to an increase in food diversity, mounds also impacted farmers' health by allowing access to 20 medicinal plant species and indirectly via a reduction in pesticide use. In conclusion, this study is the first attempt to quantify the large number of services provided by termite mounds in Cambodia. This increase in the knowledge of the diversity of environmental and socioeconomic services provided by termite mounds is likely to contribute to their preservation and provide a basis for the sustainable management of biodiversity in paddy fields in the Lower Mekong Basin regio
Supporting stakeholders to anticipate and respond to risks in a Mekong River water-energy-food nexus
The water-energy-food nexus concept is criticized as not yet fit for deeply integrated and contested governance agendas. One problem is how to achieve equitable risk governance and management where there is low consensus on priorities, poor inclusion and coordination of risk assessment procedures, and a weak emphasis placed on cross-scale and sectoral interactions over time. Participatory system dynamics modeling processes and analyses are promising approaches for such challenges but are currently underutilized in nexus research and policy. This paper shares our experience implementing one such analysis in the Mekong river basin, a paradigmatic example for international nexus research. Our transdisciplinary research design combined participatory causal loop diagramming processes, scenario modeling, and a new resilience analysis method to identify and test anticipated water-energy-food risks in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces in northeastern Cambodia. Our process generated new understanding of potential cross-sectoral and cross-level risks from major hydropower development in the region. The results showed expected trade-offs between national level infrastructure programs and local level food security, but also some new insights into the effects local population increases may have on local food production and consumption even before hydropower developments are built. The analysis shows the benefit of evaluating risks in the nexus at different system levels and over time because of how system dynamics and inflection points are taken into account. Additionally, our case illustrates the contribution participatory system-thinking processes can make to risk assessment procedures for complex systems transitions. We originally anticipated that any new capacity reported by partners and participants would come from our modeling results produced at the end of the process. However, participants in the modeling procedures also found the experience powerful the information sharing, rapid risk assessment, and personal learning it enabled. A lesson from our experience reinforces a message from the transdisciplinary research field that has not yet been absorbed into the nexus research and policy field wholeheartedly: we do not have to wait for perfect data and incontestable results before making a positive contribution to anticipating and responding to risks that emerge from nexus relations if we apply participatory and systems-thinking informed approaches
Supporting stakeholders to anticipate and respond to risks in a Mekong River water-energy-food nexus
The water-energy-food nexus concept is criticized as not yet fit for deeply integrated and contested governance agendas. One problem is how to achieve equitable risk governance and management where there is low consensus on priorities, poor inclusion and coordination of risk assessment procedures, and a weak emphasis placed on cross-scale and sectoral interactions over time. Participatory system dynamics modeling processes and analyses are promising approaches for such challenges but are currently underutilized in nexus research and policy. This paper shares our experience implementing one such analysis in the Mekong river basin, a paradigmatic example for international nexus research. Our transdisciplinary research design combined participatory causal loop diagramming processes, scenario modeling, and a new resilience analysis method to identify and test anticipated water-energy-food risks in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces in northeastern Cambodia. Our process generated new understanding of potential cross-sectoral and cross-level risks from major hydropower development in the region. The results showed expected trade-offs between national level infrastructure programs and local level food security, but also some new insights into the effects local population increases may have on local food production and consumption even before hydropower developments are built. The analysis shows the benefit of evaluating risks in the nexus at different system levels and over time because of how system dynamics and inflection points are taken into account. Additionally, our case illustrates the contribution participatory system-thinking processes can make to risk assessment procedures for complex systems transitions. We originally anticipated that any new capacity reported by partners and participants would come from our modeling results produced at the end of the process. However, participants in the modeling procedures also found the experience powerful the information sharing, rapid risk assessment, and personal learning it enabled. A lesson from our experience reinforces a message from the transdisciplinary research field that has not yet been absorbed into the nexus research and policy field wholeheartedly: we do not have to wait for perfect data and incontestable results before making a positive contribution to anticipating and responding to risks that emerge from nexus relations if we apply participatory and systems-thinking informed approaches