12 February 2021 – submitted by Earth Refuge Correspondent Aubrey Calaway
Cambodian tour guide Chem Vichhai talks with Aubrey Calaway about extreme weather and ailing ecosystems in his home providence of Siem Reap. Taking us inside different stops on his tour, Vichhai describes how local residents of the Prek Toal Floating Village community- and Cambodia as a whole- are struggling to adapt to a changing climate.
Vichhai’s Business Facebook
What is your name and where in the world do you call home?
My name is Chem Vichhai and I am from Siem Reap, Cambodia. Right now, I am living in Battambang province with my parents, which is my hometown. I moved from Siem Reap-Battambang because of Covid-19.
What kind of work do you do? And what inspired you to pursue this career?
I am an English-Speaking Tour Guide. I chose this career because I love to speak the English language and want to share the beautiful culture, history, and custom of my country to all the people around the world who come to Cambodia. Besides that, I can meet people from other countries and learn about their country too.
Have you noticed any changes in your local environment, like temperature or weather?
Yes, I have noticed some changes in my local environment. First of all, the temperature has changed every year. Cambodia is a hot country all year ‘round- everybody can usually adapt and get used to it. But for years and years the temperature has been increasing.
In 2019 it was a very hot year because Cambodia got less rain. Normally we get rain in late June until the end of October, which is the rainy season. November to May is the dry season with no rain. But in 2019, it rained very little and made it hard for people in Cambodia to live and farm. The weather is so hot in the dry season (up to 40 C). Some places have no water for use. I think this is unusual if I compare to last year when we got a lot of rain.
2020 is a bad year besides the corona virus. Cambodia is affected by nature too. During the rainy season Cambodia got a huge flood, and it flooded almost the whole country. All farming is gone, especially rice farming.
Do you think these changes are related to climate change?
Yes, looking at all of this, I think the climate is changing because people don’t care about the environment. These changes were a sudden shock to the people in Cambodia.
Have these changes affected your life?
This change has really affected my life. It makes it difficult to work. It is so hot in dry season and all my farming was destroyed by water in the wet season. It is hard to get income to support my family, and sometimes I got sick or dizzy when I work because of heat and high humidity. I do not sleep well during nighttime because of the temperature.
And right now, there are no tourists because of Covid.
Have you been able to adapt?
I have been able to adopt but it is not so easy. Others, [especially] older people, have a big problem with this change.
Can you tell me about one or two of the places where you take tourists?
Angkor Wat Temple is the biggest Hindu temple in the world and a beautiful place for people to visit during their vacation. Angkor Wat was built in the jungle and surrounded by massive moat. On the way to go to see this temple, we can enjoy the big trees that flank the road and [provide] nice shade for people. Can see monkey, bird and other animals too. So, when we arrive inside the temple, everybody feels like they arrived to the heavens or home of God because it is so peaceful.
I also take tourists to Prek Toal Floating Village. This place is so beautiful. Most tourists go this place because they wanted to see the big freshwater lake and watching the beautiful birds, swamp forest, and the floating houses where the local people live. This trip focused on nature and real life of Khmer.
How is the environment important in your work?
If the environment is terrible, I think no tourist will come to my country, so I have no job too. Without the environment, with dirty water, and other things affecting the birds, trees, and fishes, I will find it difficult to work with tourist and just to live myself as well. So, the environment is really important to my work and people in my country.
Are there any communities where you take tour groups that are being affected by changes in the climate or environment?
Yes, there are, including the Prek Toal Floating Village community When climate change happens, it becomes more difficult for people living in their floating village because their lives focus on nature and the environment.
[For] some years people have a hard time finding the fish for consumption because there’s less water. Fish are very important for people who are living in the village. Forest fire also occurred during the dry season and killed animals, birds, and fish that lost their habitat. The people have no land for farming.
Trees are also cut down by people or destroyed by fire, so now there are not so many big trees for connecting their [floating] houses. Without big trees close by, there is no mooring to connect their house and control it from moving when there is a lot of water or wind.
How are people in these communities adapting to these changes?
Even as the climate changes and it makes it difficult for people living in the floating house, the people still stay there and try to adapt to the situation because most of them have no other place to go or live. They try to catch the fish when the water goes down and process it by smoking or drying the fish in order to keep it a long time and eat it later when they can’t find more. Sometimes they plant the vegetables on the floating garden for cooking instead of buying from market.
Some people work as a boat driver or fish worker and other jobs in the village to get some income to support their family. But some people will migrate to the mainland to find a job if there is no food to eat in the village.
Do they receive any support from aid organizations, the government, or others?
Some received support from NGOs and the government, but not everybody. And it is not every month, only something like on time per year or two years.
In your opinion, is there enough work being done to minimize the climate-related issues you’re seeing on the ground?
In my opinion, not enough. In Cambodia, mostly the people don’t care about the environment. They care only about their family. Education is still poor in Cambodia.
I think it will affect things long-term if the people do not protect the environment together. If things do not change, it will impact Cambodia as a whole. People will live and die by climate change one day.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
