And so It Begins...

The rainy season has now officially started making everything exceedingly green and more importantly, exceedingly muddy!

This change has been gratefully received by the people here as the rains have been very late arriving this year. Wells have been running dry and paddy fields unable to yield rice.

I have seen the awful flooding experienced in China and Pakistan and am hoping Cambodia is spared this tragedy. During the end of the rainy season last year Cambodia suffered greatly from severe flooding. This was especially prominent in North East Cambodia, in Rattanakiri Province. Here many villages were washed away entirely and then cut off by flooding caused by Vietnam opening its overwhelmed flood gates when Typhoon Ketsana hit. Vietnam paid for a significant amount of aid for the region, along with support from the UN and CARE, however, it will takes years for it to fully recover.

There are also many problems in Phnom Penh with flooding as many natural water reservoirs and reclaimed for development. During heavy downpours in the Capital the drainage system is quickly overwhelmed and it is not unusual to be wading through streets with water up to your knees, whilst trying not to think about how disgusting the water is and whether that was in fact a rat which just floated past.
Many residents are also experiencing increased problems with flooding in Phnom Penh. Especially in the areas surrounding the Boeung Kang Keng Lake in the North of the city, where most has been filled in order to build tower blocks. I remember last year, shortly after I arrived in Cambodia, reading about an entire family who were killed when electrical cables came into contact with the flood water in their house and they attempted to save each other from the live water.

So although the monsoon season brings joy for agriculture and a break from the blistering heat it also brings issues of its own which can have tragic results.

Things are very slow for me at the moment here in Mondulkiri as the schools are now closed and it is a busy agricultural period for the communities. The muddy and carved up state of the roads also seriously limits where I can go on the motorbike (I am not a motocross driver!).

The rain has also returned the jungle to its lush green state which is beautiful. I wish a photograph could do it justice and convey the beauty and scale but it simply cannot.

I was also recently involved in a meeting to discuss the planning of a community involvement and National Volunteering (NV) project in Cambodia. This was a very interesting exercise and gave us the opportunity to share our experiences and discuss strategies and objectives for the project.
For me it was a good opportunity to look back at the work I have done here so far. It has also helped me to write some very constructive notes for my replacement!

10 weeks to go....