Cambodia Energy Situation

Background Information

The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in the tropical region of Southeast Asia in the Lower Mekong region. The physical landscape is dominated by the lowland plains around the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap Lake. Of the country area 181,035 Km2, approximately 49% remains covered by forest. There are about 2.5 million hectares of arable land and over 0.5 million hectares of pasture land. The climate in Cambodia is tropical and subject to both southeast and northwest monsoons. Cambodia has a population of around 14 million people, with a growth rate of about 1.8 % and an average age of the population of 19 years.

Cambodia's infrastructure, including the power sector, was severely damage by years of war. After restoration of order in the country the Government has followed a program focused on rehabilitation and development of the basic infrastructure, with the aim of improving the socio - economic conditions for further step of development. Cambodia is an agricultural country, where over 85% of the people in Cambodia live in rural areas with agriculture as the main profession of subsistence. Their livelihood depends mainly on agriculture: farming, fishing, livestock, forest and non-forest products. For heating, the majority of energy they use are fuel-wood, charcoal, agricultural residues collected mostly from forest areas close to their villages.