Beyond the Grain: How Rice-Field Ponds are Forging Climate Resilient Livelihoods in Cambodia

Abstract

Rice cultivation in Cambodia faces challenges from climate change, including intensifying droughts, erratic rainfall, and declining market prices, which undermine the sustainability of traditional monoculture systems. Integrated Rice-Field Pond (RFP) systems, piloted under the CGIAR–Asian Mega Delta initiative, offer a climate-smart alternative by transforming rice paddies into multifunctional, resilient micro-ecosystems. Strategically embedded ponds provide water security, enhance aquatic biodiversity, diversify food and income sources, and strengthen household resilience against climate shocks. Demonstrations under the CGIAR–Multifunctional Landscapes (MFL) program in Prey Veng and Kampong Thom highlight significant benefits: fish harvests through improved pond management, integrated farming profits were several times higher than rice monoculture, and household nutrition and dietary diversity improved. Community adoption has been strong, with low investment requirements enabling scalability to thousands of households. However, management gaps such as widespread pond draining, passive use, and inconsistent practice adoption, limit system resilience. Addressing these challenges requires targeted capacity building, improved governance, and national policy alignment to formally recognize RFPs as climate adaptation assets. Scaling the vision of “One Pond, One Family” could transform Cambodia’s rice landscapes into interconnected, biodiverse of productivity and resilience, securing livelihoods and food systems for millions of rural households.