Cambodia Faces Severe Rice Crop Damage Due to Drought, 130,000 Hectares Affected in Battambang; 70,000 Rescued

In Battambang province, western Cambodia, severe drought has caused extensive damage to rice cultivation. On July 28, 2026, Governor Sok Lou led a delegation of technical officials and authorities to inspect the water situation at the Battambang Multipurpose Reservoir (Sek Sak), the Kampui Irrigation System, and water distribution for rice rescue in Thma Koul, Banan, and Bavet districts. Governor Sok Lou stated that approximately 130,000 hectares of rice crops across the province have been affected by the drought. To date, rescue efforts have covered over 70,000 hectares, with ongoing interventions. The Kampui Reservoir, with a storage capacity of about 140 million cubic meters, currently holds only approximately 4 million cubic meters of water. All available water has been released to rescue rice crops to the fullest extent possible and according to technical specifications. The Governor pledged to continue interventions to supply water for rice rescue as much as possible and instructed the provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology to prioritize fair and transparent water management and distribution to farmers. This intervention is in line with the high recommendations of Prime Minister Hun Manet, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the National Committee for Disaster Management Kun Kim, leaders from the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Governor Sok Lou and relevant departments have been meeting directly with farmers and continuously monitoring the distribution of water for rice rescue. Source: AKP Khmer