The climate change has happened and livelihoods along the Mekong River are extremely vulnerable to its impacts, especially the lower Mekong basin due to the adverse impact which arises from activities in the regions and countries upstream and poor living condition of communities. According to the VRA conducted by CRDT team at the proposed project site, climate change was a present threat and over the past five years, the rain is noticeably coming later and ending earlier, which has dramatic effects on crop production especially rice damages. All respondents in the VRA discussions claimed that increased water accessibility for agricultural production would enlarge crop yields and thus increase incomes and sustainable development. The consequences of climate change and impacts on communities are not disseminated publicly to all community people so that communities are ready for the climate change adaptation. In response to this negative impacts, this project aims to reduce significantly vulnerability of the poor communities by consolidation at all levels of people in the community that will achieve the poverty reduction targets of the Royal Government of Cambodia. The project will try to improve food security through increasing water supply and agriculture training as well as increasing stewardship of the local environment in five villages in two communes of Sambo district in Kratie province.

The major activities of the project are to repair four existing natural ponds to supply 31 hectares of farm land for rice growing by around 80 families in BaySamnom, Svay Chek and Cherng Peat villag in Koh Khnger commune, to rebuild two existing canals and one dam to supply water for 25 hectares of paddy field of at least 60 families in Damre and Koh Dambong village of Boeng Char commune, and buy five water pumps to five villages in two communes, Koh Khgaer and Boeng Char. To ensure sustainability of water usage from these constructions, the project will form at least 4 Farmer Water User Group (FWUG) under the guideline instructed by the Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology Department to manage the water consumption. Meanwhile, with funding from a donor of CEPF, the project will select at least 2 Extension Workers in agriculture and establish 9 Agriculture Farmer Groups (AFGs) in those target communities to increase effective use of water for agriculture production. In addition, Climate Change education will be provided to all targeted villages to increase awareness and encourage actions on any proper solution.

By the end of the project, it is expected that the project will increase adaptive capacity of communities to climate change by 20% through water supply for agriculture production, reduce vulnerability by 15% by increasing food security and income generation and increase understandings of climate change issues by 20% through climate change education in 2 communes.

1.2 Project Objectives
Improve livelihoods of 5 targeted vulnerable communities in two communes with a total beneficiaries of 715 families, 3595 people of population, including 1832 females in response to climate change impact, especially in high risk areas along the Mekong River through increasing food security, agriculture trainings and water supply.

Specific project objectives are as follows:

Objective 1: Improve livelihoods of 5 targeted vulnerable communities in two communes in response to climate change impact, especially in high risk areas along the Mekong River through increasing food security, water supply and improve agriculture knowledge.

Objective 2: Increase stewardship and heightened value of the local environment through climate change education in 2 targeted communes.

1.3 Outcomes

Outcome 1 (objective 1): Capacity of communities to adapt to climate change increased, through the use of rehabilitated irrigation system (irrigation canal, dam and big ponds, and water pump) and sustainably managing the water consumption for agriculture production at the end of the project.

Outcome 2 (objective 1): Capacity of at least 180 families in targeted communities in agriculture increased through sustainable agriculture training, and alternative livelihoods management (quality, quantity and diversity)

Outcome 3: Increased awareness and understanding about climate change and environmental issues through training and education in target communities

1.4 Outputs and activities

Output 1.1: Four existing ponds will be rehabilitated to store rainwater to supply 31 hectares of farm land for rice growing for at least 80 families in BaySamnom, Svay Chek and Cherng Peat villag in Koh Khnger commune.

Activities
? Meeting with local authorities, PDOWRAM, other relevant departments and stakeholders to get permission for dam rehabilitation and to introduce the project activities and then open the project.
? Conduct village meetings (BaySamnom, Svay Chek and Cherng Peat villag) to introduce the project, in which all villagers in the proposed site participate.
? Cooperate with commune procurement committee to prepare required documents for bidding process for 2 pond rehabilitation ((50m X 40m X 2.5m) at Cherng Peat village, rehabilitation of 1 pond (60m X 50m X 2.5m) at Bay Samnom village, rehabilitation of 1 pond (70m X 50m X 2.5m) at Svay Chek village, 1 dam rehabilitation (105m X 5m x2m) in Damre village, Rehabilitation of 1 canal 550 m (along the village road) in Damre village and Reconstruction of 1 canal 815m ( T-Canal) in Damre and Koh Dambong village
? Rehabilitate 2 ponds (50m X 40m X 2.5m) at Cherng Peat village , one pond (60m X 50m X 2.5m) at Bay Samnom village in Koh Khnger commune and one pond (70m X 50m X 2.5m) at Svay Chek village

Output 1.2: One dam and two lines of canal will be rehabilitated to provide water for irrigating 25 hectares of farm land for at least 60 families with total population of 270 people including 138 women in Damre and Koh Dambong village, in Boeng Char commune

Activities
? Cooperate with PDOWRAM and local authorities to get permission for dam rehabilitatrion and organize meeting with villagers to inform about dam rehabilitation in Damre village (105m X 5m x2m)
? Rehabilitate dam (105m X 5m x2m) in Damre village: Kratie province
? Rehabilitate canal 550 m (along the village road) in Damre village:
? Reconstructe canal 815m ( T-Canal) in Damre and Koh Dambong village:

Output 1.3: Five water pumps will be provided to 5 villages for at least 140 families (total population of 630 people including 321 women) in Boeng Char and Koh Khnger commune to supply water for crops and rice production on 56 hectares during dry season or when droughts happened in the raining seasons.

Activities
? Cooperate with local authorities to establish 5 water pump use communities (WPUC) by selecting member and committee member of WPUC)
? Establish rule and regulation of WPUC by cooperating with local authorities
? Purchase water pump (Model: Honda 5.5HP made in Thailand, 80cm diameter water tube)

Output 1.4: Four Farmer Water User Communities (FWUG) for all natural ponds, water pumps, canals and dams by the end to project will be formed within five villages of two communes from at least 140 members following the guideline of Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology Department to ensure the transparency in water usage for agriculture irrigation.

Activities
? Meet with PDOWRAM and all stakeholders to form the committees of water usage group
? Organize village meeting to form the FWUC and Develop management structure of FWUG
? Organize FWUC meeting to select Farmer Water User Committees
? Develop rule and regulation of FWUG in cooperation with Kratie department of Water Resource and Meteorology
? Capacity building in management and leadership for FWUG committee members
? Follow up and monitor the operations of FWUG

Output 2.1: Two Extension Workers (WE) in agriculture in two communes will be selected from livelihood AFGs and trained, and will provide agriculture trainings in five villages for at least 180 families.

Activities
? Select extension two workers in two communes
? Provide capacity building to extension workers on ToT and technical agriculture implementation
? Follow up and monitor the activities by Extension Workers

Output 2.2: Nine Agriculture Farmer Groups in two communes, involving 180 families, will develop sustainable livelihoods through agriculture training especially rice growing and the effective management of a small grant, which will increase food security and incomes to reduce natural resource dependency in the area. Through funding from CEPF, these AFGs will be formed around appropriate agriculture practices including small livestock raising, fish raising, vegetable and rice growing.

Activities
? Agriculture Farmer Groups capacity building on livelihood activities especially rice growing (10 trainings): the proper technical agriculture training to Climate Change adaptation will trained for all 9 AFGs with at least 180 participants. In addition, resistant seeds to drought including rice seeds, and other crop seeds will be introduced to communities through small grants to AFGs committees.
? Provide small grant through 9 Agriculture Farmer Groups committees in agriculture improvement with funding from CEPF: Once formally established AFGs as explained in the project approach, all AFGs will begin to be trained in proposal writing which will build the group's capacity to be able to submit a proposal for a grant from the project.

Output 3.1: One workshop and five climate change trainings will be conducted in 5 villages in 2 communes of Sambo district with at least 250 participants.

Activities
? A awareness workshop on climate change with stakeholders, local authorities and community representatives (1 workshop in two communes with 60 participants)
? Climate Change adaptation mainstreaming through training in 5 villages with at least 190 participants