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Role of Villagers in Building Community Resilience Through Disaster Risk Management: A Case Study of a Flood-Prone Village on the Banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia

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Environmental Change and Agricultural Sustainability in the Mekong Delta

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 45))

Abstract

Floods are a normal feature of the monsoon season around the Tonle Sap Great Lake and areas neighboring the Mekong River in Cambodia. In some years, floods are much more severe than others; in particular, when there is a combination of high discharge from upstream and a high run-off from rainfall within the area. Actions taken by villagers could help build resilience at household and community levels against these more serious floods and thus reduce the risks of disasters, loss of life, and costly damage. In a detailed study of impacts and responses to floods in Angkor Ang village in Prey Veng Province, we found evidence of major barriers to effective actions by villagers and other actors working at community and other levels. Building and maintaining resilience in flood-prone communities requires that attention be given to local capacity and knowledge, differences in wealth or poverty, gender relations, and local participation. Moreover, these factors need to be examined in various social processes before, during, and after major floods.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Office, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

    Serey Sok

  2. Unit for Social and Environmental Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Louis Lebel

  3. Water Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand

    Ram C. Bastakoti

  4. Research Team for ProVention Consortium Research and Action Grants, Hosted by Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, Thailand

    Sokkalyan Thau & Sela Samath

Authors
  1. Serey Sok
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  2. Louis Lebel
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  3. Ram C. Bastakoti
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  4. Sokkalyan Thau
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  5. Sela Samath
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Serey Sok .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of History, Western Washington University, Bond Hall 320, Bellingham, 98225-9061, Washington, USA

    Mart A. Stewart

  2. , Department of History, University of North Carolina, Hamilton Hall CB# 3195, Chapel Hill, 27599-3195, South Carolina, USA

    Peter A. Coclanis

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Sok, S., Lebel, L., Bastakoti, R.C., Thau, S., Samath, S. (2011). Role of Villagers in Building Community Resilience Through Disaster Risk Management: A Case Study of a Flood-Prone Village on the Banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia. In: Stewart, M., Coclanis, P. (eds) Environmental Change and Agricultural Sustainability in the Mekong Delta. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 45. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0934-8_14

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