This paper examines public spending on education, health and infrastructure in Cambodia. Using benefit incidence analysis (BIA), marginal benefit incidence analysis (MBIA) and the nationally representative household survey data from the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES) in 2004, 2009 and 2011, the paper examines whether government spending in each sector is equally distributed across household income groups or geographical zones, and to what extent changes in public spending affect different population groups. Broadly speaking, public spending in Cambodia is not pro-poor except for the spending on primary […]

There is growing consensus that an emerging skill gap could impose human costs and constraints on Cambodia’s economic growth and development. The country is facing a shortage of skilled human resources even for low-to-medium skill intensive industries. There is a widening gap between the skills that industries and businesses need and what the education institutions, whether academic or vocational training, are producing. Cambodia’s skill gap is emerging at a time when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is preparing […]

 Cambodia is highly susceptible to natural disasters due to the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, primarily floods, droughts and windstorms, but also in particular to increased climate variability.These disasters and climate-related hazardshave exacted huge socioeconomic costs on the country’s economy and people’s livelihoods, especially in the last decade. It isimportant, therefore, to understand not only the level of impactbut also the vulnerability and the capacity of people to adapt to these hazards. This emphasises the needfor vulnerability and […]

The majority of studies of governance reform in Cambodia look at the impact on democratic consolidation; not enough attention is given to development. This paper aims to understand how reforms have impacted the state’s ability to support economic growth, using the framework of developmental state with a focus on four characteristics. Based on a study of the rubber sector, this paper finds that the Cambodian state does not exhibit thorough actions to promote economic transformation, and its effort is limited […]

This study assesses the impact of participation in farmer organisations (FOs) on the food security of rural households in Cambodia. The study was started in November 2010 and completed in June 2012. The study set out to: (1) examine the roles, operations and challenges of FOs in improving household food security; (2) analyse the household characteristics that determine participation in FOs; (3) assess the impact of FOs on the food security and livelihoods of poor rural people; and (4) provide […]

Cambodia is divided into four agro-ecological zones—the Tonle Sap plain, Mekong plain, mountains/plateau and coast—representing heterogeneous agricultural activity, population and livelihood systems (UNDP 2011b). Climate change impacts and the adaptive capacity of the people differ from one zone to another. Adaptation measures have varied according to the sector and the locality, adaptive capacity and severity of the impacts. Even though co-management by the state and communities of forest, fishery and water resources has been improved, local communities’ capacity to respond […]

This paper explores labour market structure and employment links to poverty in Cambodia. Employment elasticity of growth, labour productivity and real wage growth are the main indicators of the labour market situation, while probit models estimate the connection between household employment and poverty likelihood. The paper combines macro and micro data to perform a descriptive analysis. For probit estimation, it uses the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES) 2007-11. The results show that agriculture, albeit with a slow growth rate, absorbed a […]

Agriculture plays a crucial part in Cambodia’s economy, accounting for about 27.3 percent of GDP in 2010. The sector engages at least 59 percent of the economically active population, and over 90 percent of the population lives in rural areas where agricultural activities remain the primary source of livelihood. Agricultural growth, on average, was about 4.6 percent per year over the period 1994–2010. This growth is largely attributable to the crops sub-sector, which contributes more than 50 percent of agricultural […]

In late 2011 the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) was commissioned by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) to produce a Cambodia country background paper for the ASEAN 2030: Growing Together for Economic Prosperity—The Challenges study. The study, conducted in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat and the ADB’s South-East Asia Department, was part of a wider study on the transformation brought about by the emergence of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and India as major global economic […]

Addressing gender issues is essential in promoting and advancing the role and economic, social, political, legal and cultural status of women. The need to address this concern has been increasingly acknowledged by the government of Cambodia since it would help to improve and sustain not only family economy but also national development and economic growth (UN Women 1995) (RGC 2010). In its third five-year strategic plan, Neary Rattanak III, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA) sought to ensure gender-responsive national […]

Decentralisation has been pursued as a mechanism to strengthen local democracy and enhance service delivery within local government. There are high expectations that its promises can be realised through local citizens’ engagement in local decision-making processes that deal specifically with issues of local importance. Instituting local-level participatory processes empowers citizens and communities to voice their opinions on local issues, demand responses from local governments, and hold local authorities accountable for the decisions they make. Through devolution of power and resources […]

Gender issues have become a part of mainstream Cambodian politics over the last decade, and gender-neutral electoral systems have been developed in cooperation between donors and government. Female representation has been achieved primarily through direct and indirect elections at different levels. And although Cambodia is a male-dominated culture in a patrimonial society, attention has turned to attracting female voters, and the strategic importance of female leaders and role models is being slowly realised. Predictably, driven by popular demand, gender issues have become a part of mainstream […]