Royal University of Phnom Penh Researchers Update Understanding of Risk Management [Roles of Agricultural Cooperatives (ACs) in Drought Risk Management among Smallholder Farmers in Pursat and Kampong Speu Provinces, Cambodia]: Risk Management

2023 MAY 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators discuss new findings in risk management. According to news reporting out of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “This research aims to investigate the roles of agricultural cooperatives (ACs) in the provinces Pursat and Kampong Speu, Cambodia, with respect to managing the drought risks among smallholder farmers, with particular focus on the following factors: (a) the impacts of drought on socio-economic development and livelihood; (b) the services delivered by AC operations in terms of increasing the five livelihood assets; and © the interactions between AC operations, adaptive capacity, and the impacts of drought.”

Financial supporters for this research include Ottawa-based International Development Resource Center; Idrc Canada.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Royal University of Phnom Penh: “Household surveys were conducted among 421 smallholder farmers; in addition, case studies were also conducted with stakeholders in the Bakan district in Pursat Province and the Barsedth district in Kampong Speu Province. The study demonstrates that (i) both climatic and human-made factors contributed toward the impact of drought in the Bakan and Barsedth districts. Furthermore, this hazard affected smallholder farmers. (ii) AC operations increased the smallholder farmers’ access to natural and physical assets. Currently, AC operations are constrained by a lack of willingness and commitment in AC committees, trust building in the communities, and human and financial resources after development projects, which are implemented by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). (iii) Adaptive capacity contributed to the drought impacts and participation in AC activities, but the involvement in AC activities did not contribute to AC operations nor to aiding with the impacts of drought.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “This empirical research, which was performed via structural education modeling (SEM), fills a gap in the literature by increasing the understanding of the roles of AC operations in the context of drought risk management and their role in increasing access to the five livelihood assets.”

For more information on this research see: Roles of Agricultural Cooperatives (ACs) in Drought Risk Management among Smallholder Farmers in Pursat and Kampong Speu Provinces, Cambodia. Water, 2023,15(1447):1447. (Water - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/water/). The publisher for Water is MDPI AG.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/w15081447.

Our news journalists report that more information may be obtained by contacting Nyda Chhinh, Department of Economic Development, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh 12150, Cambodia. Additional authors for this research include Serey Sok, Veasna Sou, Pheakdey Nguonphan.

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