Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PHNOMPENH234
2007-02-09 09:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Phnom Penh
Cable title:  

CAMBODIA INDOOR AIR POLLUTION ASSESSMENT

Tags:  SENV CB 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPF #0234 0400928
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090928Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7997
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 2114
UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000234 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, OES/PCI--SALZBERG AND BLAINE
BANGKOK FOR REO-JIM WALLER
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR MILLER AND DEELY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA INDOOR AIR POLLUTION ASSESSMENT

REF: 06 STATE 192919

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000234

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, OES/PCI--SALZBERG AND BLAINE
BANGKOK FOR REO-JIM WALLER
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR MILLER AND DEELY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA INDOOR AIR POLLUTION ASSESSMENT

REF: 06 STATE 192919


1. SUMMARY: While some NGOs, most notably the Cambodia Rural
Development Team (CRDT),are promoting the use of technology to
reduce indoor air pollution, there is little awareness or government
commitment to addressing IAP in Cambodia. END SUMMARY.

IAP a Low Priority for Cambodian Government
--------------


2. Mr. Heng Nareth, Director of the Department of Environmental
Pollution Control, said that indoor air pollution is an idea of
developed countries to take care of the health of their peoples and
is not a priority in Cambodia. Cambodians need to have enough to
eat first before thinking of anything else, he added. According to
Mr. Nareth, Cambodia is not a member of the Partnership for Clean
Indoor Air (PCIA),but is a member of the Clean Air Initiative for
Asian Cities based in Manila. Cambodia is also a signatory to the
ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2002. However,
IAP has not been incorporated into the national development
strategy, nor has funding been set aside for IAP in Cambodia.


3. The Ministry of Environment, and its Department of Environmental
Pollution Control, is responsible for both outdoor and indoor
pollution control. The Department submitted a funding proposal to
the Council of Ministers in 2004 for work in three priority areas:
waste management, waste water treatment, and an inventory of air
pollution, but the funding proposal was not approved.

WHO to Create Pollution Project
--------------


4. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently funded an
environmental health project which focuses mainly on health and
medical waste management. The project, led by the Ministry of
Health, involved many concerned government institutions. In the
near future, WHO will propose an indoor air management project aimed
at building technical capacity including measuring and analyzing
indoor air quality. Dr. Nasir Hassan, WHO Environmental Engineer,
said while he was not sure about the seriousness of indoor air
pollution in urban areas, it might be serious in rural areas as
households are using inefficient fuels such as firewood, charcoal,
twigs and rice husk.

Local NGOs Involved in Improving Indoor Air Pollution
-------------- --------------


5. Cambodian women burn biomass--mostly wood in rural areas and
charcoal in urban centers--for daily cooking in their kitchens. The
use of inefficient traditional stoves consumes more fuel, resulting
in frequent movements to forest for fuel collection. In order to
cope with this issue, some local NGOS are working on improving a
cooking system by using a more modern and environmentally friendly
method, such as improved cookstoves and biodigesters, which
mitigates and improves indoor air pollution.


6. The Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT) was formed in 2001
to undertake development projects to improve the living standards of
subsistence communities in rural Cambodia. Biological Gas Digesters
(biodigesters) are part of the CRDT's rural development project
package. The biodigesters eliminate the requirement for traditional
carbon fuels such as firewood and charcoal. The biodigesters
accumulate and direct naturally emitted methane gas from animal
manure and vegetable waste to be used safely as cooking fuel. Its
major purposes are to reduce local deforestation, environmental
pollution and living costs, and increase living standards of local
communities. The residual waste produced from the biodigester may
then be used as natural fertilizer to increase rice yield. Since
2001 CRDT has installed more than 50 biodigesters for villagers in
the provinces of Kampong Cham, Kratie, Kampong Speu, Prey Veng,
Stung Treng, Takeo and Kandal.


7. The Cambodian Fuelwood Saving Project (CFSP) has developed and
promoted improved cookstoves since 2000 thanks to their wood energy
savings and environmental protection. According to statistics taken
from CFSP website, so far 120,000 improved cookstoves have been in
use across Cambodia.

Local Health Effects of IAP
--------------


8. According to a recent study on the role of gender in household
energy and indoor air pollution in Cambodia co-authored by San You
and K.M. Sulpya, Cambodian women suffer from emissions during
cooking which can increase rates of respiratory diseases, including
Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI),Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
(COLD),premature birth, reduced oxygen to body tissues, eye
infection and headache. The situation is further aggravated by the
low awareness.