Abstract
Cambodia is one of the least-developed countries in the world and the poorest in Southeast Asia, which hinders progress on a range of important human development and water security issues. The Human Development Index (HDI) is calculated annually by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and published in the annual Human Development Report. It ranks 185 countries out of 193 UN member states. Eight countries are not included due to a lack of data. The low ranking of Cambodia at 138 reflects systemic issues of poverty that impact crucial development in numerous areas including water security. In 2012, 20.5 percent of the population was living below the poverty line and approximately 79.8 percent were rural citizens. In general, water and sanitation access in the country is unstable and inadequate for millions of citizens. Since water security is closely related to sanitation and health, these deficiencies pose significant challenges for the government.
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© 2016 Ross Michael Pink
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Pink, R.M. (2016). Cambodia: A Rural Water Crisis. In: Water Rights in Southeast Asia and India. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137504234_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137504234_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
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