Background
Cambodia is highly vulnerable to climate change, with increasing floods, droughts, extreme rainfall, and hydrological variability affecting water availability, agriculture, hydropower, fisheries, ecosystems, and rural livelihoods. These risks are particularly pronounced in the transboundary Se San River Basin, part of the wider Se San, Srepok, Sekong (3S) system, where climate impacts interact with upstream hydropower development in Lao PDR and Viet Nam. Altered flow regimes and increasing climate variability are creating complex challenges for water allocation, disaster risk management, food security, fisheries, and ecosystem services in northeastern Cambodia.
Cambodia has established national and regional frameworks for climate adaptation and basin management, including its Updated NDC 3.0, Cambodia Climate Change Strategic Plan 2024-2033, National Adaptation Plan, and Cambodia National Mekong Committee (CNMC) Strategic Plan 2024-2028. However, existing decision-support systems require further modernization to effectively integrate climate change scenarios, real-time hydrometeorological and Earth Observation data, and Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus analysis. Fragmented data management, interoperability gaps, and limited institutional capacity constrain evidence-based planning and the ability to assess complex water-energy-food trade-offs, anticipate floods and droughts, and respond effectively to climate risks.
CTCN Support
Through the CTCN technical assistance, Cambodia will upgrade and operationalize the Cambodia National Mekong Committee's Decision Support System for integrated WEF nexus planning, starting with the Se San River Basin. The support will establish a technical baseline and stakeholder coordination framework and enhance the DSS to integrate climate change scenarios, hydrometeorological and Earth Observation data, WEF nexus planning modules and automated scenario analysis. User-oriented risk dashboards will be developed to support flood and drought risk management and improve decision-making on water allocation and other basin-level trade-offs.
The technical assistance will also strengthen national and sub-national capacity to use, maintain and institutionalize the upgraded DSS through structured training, hands-on exercises and mentoring. An implementation roadmap, sustainability and financing strategy, and bankable scale-up concept note will be prepared to support long-term operation and expansion of the approach to the wider 3S Basin and other priority river basins in Cambodia, including through potential climate and development finance.
Expected Outcome
The technical assistance will improve institutional and technical capacity for evidence-based, climate-resilient basin planning and flood and drought risk management through the upgraded Decision Support System in the Se San River Basin. It will also establish pathways and resources for scaling and sustaining the system, enabling more effective integration of climate information into water, agriculture, energy and disaster risk management decisions.
Seeking experts
The CTCN invites qualified experts and firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in this initiative. For further information on this opportunity, visit the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) or the UN website. Deadline for applications: 4 September 2026.
If you are not yet a member of the CTCN Network, you can apply to join here.
