Mr. CHHIM Sochittra, Mr. HOK Panha and Mr. SENG Theara are fresh graduates of the Department of Rural Engineering (GRU), Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC). They recently finished their study from ITC-GRU in July 2016. Mr. CHHIM Sochittra and Mr. SENG Theara made an oral presentation, and Mr. HOK Panha made a poster presentation in the International Conference on Water Security and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia, 29 November–01 December 2016, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. The conference supported all their expenses including air ticket to participate in this scientific meeting. Their presentation was about their research results obtained during the study at ITC-GRU. Three lecturers of the Department, Dr. LY Sarann, Mr. SOY Ty and Dr. HENG Sokchhay, also attended this conference.
Abstract: A remarkable population and economic growth has been seen in Phnom Penh, a center of commerce, tourism and residence. Urbanization in this capital city of Cambodia, changes of land cover from pervious to impervious areas, and the climate change phenomenon introducing a more intense rainfall within a short time, have led to frequent flooding during the rainy season. Human activities might be a main contributing factor to urban floods in this area. To propose a sustainable measure for such water-related hazard, understanding on public perception is one among various important issues to be considered. This study is aimed at analyzing public perceptions on urban flood in Phnom Penh. A questionnaire survey on 100 samples was conducted within four dense districts of the city. Key findings of the survey are: (1) flood depth of 0.15-0.30 m and flood duration of less than 1 h was very common since it is a rainfall-flood phenomenon, no overflow from rivers; (2) the impacts were greatly on small businesses and health of citizens; (3) most of the people did nothing when there are flood occurrences because flood water does not flow into their house; (4) garbage in the drainage system reduced the flood flow capacity; and (5) education on water engineering and effective garbage management were recommended by citizens to solve flood problems on a long term basis. These results might urge the government to take immediate actions on this extreme event. They also provide essential information for proposing a sustainable flood management strategy.
Hok, P., Oeurng, C., Heng, S., 2016. Estimation of water availability in rivers of Stung Sreng Basin, Cambodia, using HEC-HMS. The International Conference on Water Security and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia, 29 November–1 December 2016, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand.
Abstract: River system of the Tonle Sap Lake plays an important role in ensuring a long-term economic growth in Cambodia, meaning that water supply for domestic consumption, agriculture and environment, etc. must be sufficient. Stung Sreng is one among 11 main rivers of the lake system and it comprises of four ungauged tributaries: Stung Srang, Stung Sreng, Stung Tanat and Stung Phlang. Stung Sreng has the biggest drainage area and lies in the world tourism site of Siem Reap province. A remarkable increase in number of tourists of over two million visiting Siem Reap in 2015 and the government’s target of exporting one million ton of rice per annum have posed a great concern on water security. Water from Stung Sreng might be used for tourism sector only. Therefore, analysis of water availability from each tributary is absolutely indispensable. HEC-HMS was applied to calibrate and validate daily streamflow at a station where observed data is available. Indicated by three error indices, accuracy of the model prediction was concluded as satisfactory. The successfully calibrated HEC-HMS model was then employed to estimate water availability. The annual streamflow of Stung Srang, Stung Sreng and Stung Tanat River was estimated at 419, 686 and 230 MCM, respectively. The total yield from the whole basin is about 1572 MCM per year. The available water of 686 MCM/year from only Stung Sreng will be sufficient for tourism sector in Siem Reap, whereas the remaining amount of 886 MCM/year can be used for agriculture and other purposes.
Seng, T., Ly, S., Heng, S., 2016. Feasibility study of a micro-hydropower project based on economic analysis: a case study of a remote area in Cambodia. The International Conference on Water Security and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia, 29 November–1 December 2016, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand.
Abstract: As a developing country, Cambodia is requiring a lot of energy to sustain its development. In this context, the Royal Government of Cambodia considers hydropower as a priority sector due to a favourable condition of its natural resources. Since the national grids are unable to link the remote areas and large scale projects commonly introduce high impacts, a micro-hydropower scheme is preferable for rural electrification. This paper aims to study, based on economic analysis, the feasibility of O Katieng micro-hydropower project located in a remote area of Cambodia. Two key materials required for the design of micro-hydropower are topography and long term streamflow information. SWAT model was used to estimate streamflow because of the absence of observed data in the study area. From the flow duration curve, three alternatives of design discharge (2.483, 1.470 and 0.746 m3/s) were selected for proposing the hydropower development scheme and conducting economic optimization. The preliminary results suggest an installed capacity of each alternative as 269 kW, 159 kW, and 79 kW. The corresponding unit production cost of USD 9.32, 11.02 and 15.79 Cent/kWh are considered as feasible comparing to the current average electricity price in Cambodia (approximately USD 20 Cent/kWh). Overall, the development scheme with a designed discharge of 2.483 m3/s was recommended because it generates the highest amount of energy (1.54 GWh/year) with the lowest production cost.
