Mrs. Chea Tha, 64 years old, is a passionate farmer. Together with her husband and son, the family raises animals and grows a variety of crops including fruit trees, vegetables and rice. Like many in the area, the family is reliant on this work for their main source of income. Mrs. Chea’s family has lived in the Angkor Park area for generations. Today she lives in Daun Ov village, Leang Dai commune, Angkor Thom district, Siem Reap province.
When Mrs. Chea works on her farm, she uses a mix of traditional practices and techniques learned from those around her to cultivate crops. However, her crops often suffer from pest infestations and diseases, preventing her from achieving the high yield she needs to support her livelihood.
In August 2024, Mrs. Chea was invited to take part in the Angkor Water Resilience (AWR) project, implemented by Live & Learn Environmental Education and funded by the New Zealand Government. Seeing an opportunity to develop her skills, she joined the project activities with enthusiasm. The AWR project supports communities living in and around the Angkor Park to effectively manage water resources, improve food systems and build resilience to the effects of climate change.
Mrs. Chea participating in AWR training
Participants of AWR training, like Mrs. Chea, are provided with a drip irrigation system, vegetable seeds, protective netting, rubber mulch, seedling trays, and compost bins. Through classroom and filed based technical training they have the opportunity to build on build on their traditional knowledge of crop cultivation and learn new skills, including;
- Land preparation and bed-making according to planting standards
- Fertilizer application and dosage calculations
- Seedling nursery techniques and appropriate planting schedules
- Proper spacing and rubber mulch application
- Pest monitoring and integrated pest management
- Compost production and making botanical pesticide solutions to reduce chemical use and save money, while also safeguarding health
The AWR team conducting training
Mrs. Chea stated that her current farming success is a result of the technical training provided by the AWR project, which helped her understand risk management and adopt a variety of new climate-smart agriculture practices. She is now able to increase her crop yields, which means she can sell more produce to local traders. This additional income is enough to cover education for her only son.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Chea hopes to see her family and fellow villagers enjoy better living standards, food resilience and increased opportunities to engage in productive livelihoods near home, including farming for both consumption and commerce, just like she has.
The Angkor Water Resilience Project is a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade initiative, implemented by Live & Learn Environmental Education in partnership with the APSARA National Authority.
