Insight: Cambodia Journal of Basic and Applied Research

Teachers’ Perspective on How Financial Literacy Benefits Primary Students in Cambodia?

CHET Chealy — 2023-06-30

A well-known quote by Tim Pawlenty says, ‘Financial literacy is an important part of avoiding financial mistakes and planning for a strong, secure financial future’. Life in the 21st century needs a variety of knowledge skills that everyone must master to become a successful person. In addition, people today are growing up in a society with increasing financial citizenship responsibility and economic complexity (Amagir et al., 2018).

Recycling of spent Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) sawdust waste for the production of Straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea)

CHEM Chanchao — 2023-06-30

The cultivation of straw mushroom Volvariella volvacea has a long history and has undergone continuous development. Nevertheless, ongoing research aims to utilize various agricultural wastes to improve biological efficiency. In this study, we investigate a sustainable strategy that promotes the conversion to a circular economy by recycling spent mushroom substrate in new mushroom crops. Our research provides insight into reducing spent mushroom sawdust waste (SMSW) of Pleurotus ostreatus for application in Volvariella volvacea cultivation. We found that the optimal conditions for cultivating V. volvacea were at a temperature of 35.0℃ a humidity of 80-85%, resulting in an average growth rate of 10.60 cm and a total weight of fruit bodies of 0.77 kg, with a biological efficiency of approximately 15.47% within 15 days of cultivation. We discovered that the SMSW could be an alternative substrate for V. volvacea cultivation. Our findings can be applied to improve V. volvacea cultivation and practical applications in agriculture. By involving innovative waste management practices, this article can foster economic growth while preserving the environment for future generations. Therefore, this study contributes to significant socio-economic development and supports green economic policies by discussing the improvements from using SMSW.

Rapid Herpetofauna Assessment at Tumring REDD+Community Forests in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia

THI Sothearen — 2023-06-30

Many community forests are located in the area surrounding the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, which is currently managed by the local communities. Among those, eight community forests in Kampong Thom province have been included in the pilot project of Tumring REDD+. While these areas are likely to support a high diversity of wildlife, a limited amount of wildlife research and monitoring has been conducted for them, especially herpetofauna studies. To support Tumring REDD+-related work, research was conducted to collect information of herpetofauna species in the targeted eight community forests. Opportunistic searches for amphibians and reptiles and pitfall traps, were applied to collect data. Captured species were photographed and released back unharmed. A total of 36 herpetofauna species (16 amphibian and 20 reptile species) were recorded across all survey sites. Most of the recorded species from this survey are listed as of the Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. The most detected amphibian species were Microhyla fissipes and Eutropis macularia reptile species. In terms of diversity scores, the O’Kranhak community forest was identified as the site with the highest diversity for herpetofauna species, and this area was observed to contain more flowing streams and puddles than other studied sites. This good habitat condition supports more species and organisms’ ability to keep active even in the dry season. The lowest diversity score was at Prey Ang Taen Forest. This area was observed to be more degraded and isolated from other forest fragments. Illegal logging and wildlife hunting were observed as the main threats to these community forests. Our findings provide a species list of the herpetofauna in these studied community forests useful for supporting the development of long-term biodiversity monitoring and conservation. We recommend conducting further study and restoration of these community forests, preservation of swamps and streams, and tackling illegal logging and wildlife hunting in these areas.

Remittance and Migrant Workers in Thailand: A Case Study of Parents in Sangke District of Battambang Province

THOU Punleu — 2023-06-30

Labour migration is a world phenomenon, and it has also become vital to Cambodian people in terms of remittances. This article examines the perception of parents whose children have migrated to Thailand. The paper examines the contribution of remittances on parents’ socio-economic improvement, with special attention to (a) reasons for migration to Thailand, (b) sectors of employment of migrant workers, and (c) remittances from Thailand and their usage in Cambodia. The study reveals that remittances from labour migration to Thailand are significant for living conditions of parents in Cambodia. The majority of workers migrated to Thailand due to lack of local job opportunities (93.5%), followed by those migrating in search of a decent income or salary (85.5%). There were also other reasons for migration, including household poverty (62.3%). In Thailand, migrant workers are employed in construction (35.5%), food/beverages (30.7%), services (18.0%), and industry (13.8%). They are hired in non-skilled positions, which makes them more vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. The monthly average remittance was as small as 95.47 US dollars, and it is mostly used to contribute to parents’ living condition. In particular, there is a close relationship between remittances and holding an ID Poor status. It is clear parents with ID Poor status are highly dependent upon remittances. Parents of migrant workers used remittances for food consumption (35.98 US dollars), children’s education (22.05 US dollars), and healthcare (8.45 US dollars). This paper contributes to filling gaps in the literature regarding labor migration, remittances, and the impact on the parents of migrant workers in Cambodia.

Improving local adaptive capacity to mitigate the negative impact of climate change: A case study of Tram Kak District, Takeo Province

PRIN Sovandavy — 2023-06-30

Climate change is a long-term change in temperature and weather patterns. Drought is one of the two major natural disasters in Cambodia. The study aims to better understand the negative impact of climate change on the rice production of small-scale farmers in two communes in Tram Kak district, Takeo province, by focusing on droughts or water shortages. It was found that (i) the small-scale farmers of Sraeronorng commune mostly cultivated late-cycle rice, and the harvest was completed later than small-scale farmers in the Nhaenghorng commune, and (ii) the impact of drought over a decade affected small-scale farmers in the Nhaenghorng commune more than the Sraeronorng commune, except in 2021 when the impact on rice production in the two communes was similarly high. If a drought or water shortage came, most small-scale farmers would have a dispute over access to water from canals or community ponds to irrigate their rice fields. However, (iii) the small-scale farmers were found to have a high adaptive capacity to droughts or water shortages. The study also found that most small-scale farmers tried to construct their water sources to supply their agricultural cultivation, such as digging their ponds. However, these water sources can only provide small amounts of irrigation to reduce rice damage in the event of a long-term drought or water shortage. In addition, it was very important that all key stakeholders, both at the national and local levels, take more action to ensure the resilience of rural communities. These actions should focus on developing high-quality irrigation systems, training on agricultural techniques, selling drought-resistant rice seeds at a low price, and strengthening small-scale farmers’ capacity to produce their quality seeds. Local development projects must include planning and participation of community members.

Toward more inclusive wetland governance and the role of women and other marginalized groups in the Cambodian Mekong Delta: a case study of Boeung Preklapov Wetland in Takeo Province

THUON Try — 2023-06-30

This paper advances the understanding of the challenges of participatory wetland management in the Cambodian Mekong Delta. It shows that despite the increasing number of policies promoting women’s participation in resource management decision-making, the implementation of these policies remains inconsistent and ineffective. The research focuses on wetland-dependent communities along the Cambodia-Vietnam border that have been studied less on the Cambodian side. It identifies the main obstacles that impede women’s participation at different levels of governance. It also looks at the role of other marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities and the landless poor, in wetland management. The study reveals that at the household level, both men and women participate in fishing, harvesting wetland resources, and farming activities and partake in decision-making fairly and equally. However, women’s participation remains nominal at best at the commune, district, and national levels. Particularly at the commune level, where local participation is expected to be higher, the voice of women and the poor is strikingly absent. The identified obstacles to women's participation include inadequate attention paid to assigning clear and meaningful roles and responsibilities, lack of institutional resources, unequal power relations, and frequent instances of exclusionary elite capture.

Effectiveness and conservation of marine fisheries management areas in Koh Rong, Cambodia

KEM Ann — 2023-06-30

Fish is an essential food for Cambodians and plays an important role in food security. Fish is rich in protein, vitamins, and other minerals necessary for human health, particularly for pregnant women and children. On average, each person consumes about 52,4 kg of fish per year. Fishery communities are attracting national and international tourists for leisure activities, such as fishing, sightseeing in villages and mangrove forests, and coral diving. These activities have contributed to local livelihoods. Fishery management and conservation protect biodiversity and ensure food security. It requires a partnership with community fisheries, professional institutions, local authorities, development partners, and stakeholders and a mechanism for joint responsibility that includes collaboration, division of roles, encouragement, empowerment, and ownership. Smart patrols are a vital tool in preventing fishing crimes in the fisheries management areas of the Koh Rong archipelago and in increasing knowledge of management and the effectiveness of law enforcement. Community fisheries have been established and are fulfilling their essential role in managing the fisheries resources. The communities have been strengthened with support from the government and development partners, including financial and technical support. In the marine fisheries management areas and the community fisheries, to ensure effective management of the areas, there should be monitoring, evaluation, and research on coral habitats, seagrass habitats, mangrove sanctuaries, socio-economic conditions, fisheries governance and knowledge, and attitudes and practices.

School autonomy, organization and performance in Europe –A comparative analysis for the period from 2000 to 2015. 1st Edition. By Susana da Cruz Martins, Luís Capucha and João Sebastião, 2019. 136 pp.

TEP Kongkea — 2023-06-30

School autonomy is very important for modern education in the twenty-first century. It compels school principals, teachers, and stakeholders to work and respond together to decide what they will do to promote the students' achievement in their schools. Thus, this review seeks to elaborate on the insights of a book about school autonomy in Europe in order to draw out the best practices for the Cambodian context. The book “School Autonomy, organization, and performance in Europe -- A Comparative Analysis for the period from 2000 to 2015,” which was written by Susana da Cruz Martins, Luís Capucha, and João Sebastião and published at the Lisbon-based Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES-Iscte) in 2019, should be considered a very useful work for teachers and administrator. It is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The book not only provides general concepts such as the autonomy and performance of education systems and policies of autonomy and school organization in Europe but also introduces some innovative ideas for new perspectives on school autonomy for developing education in Cambodia.