A new report looks at the impact of international and private investment on the livelihoods of Cambodia's urban poor communities.
Cambodia's new airport highlights the country’s push for economic growth, but ongoing land disputes and governance issues could undermine this economic progress. These issues could threaten both social and environmental sustainability. Stiftung Asienhaus has researched this and published a new report on this topic: A Kingdom for an Airport, Effects of international and private investment on the livelihood of Cambodia’s urban poor communities.
The development of the Techo International Airport in Kandal demonstrates Cambodia's economic ambitions. Expected to handle over 30 million passengers annually, the airport aims to boost tourism and trade, symbolizing Cambodia's strategic investments to achieve high-income status by 2050. Post-pandemic, Cambodia is focused on economic recovery, with the new government, in power since August 2023, prioritizing sectors like real estate and urban development.
As of August 2024, inter-ministerial efforts are revising key laws, including the 2021 investment law and the 2001 land law, to address persistent issues in land registration, disputes, and governance. The study aims to provide recommendations to improve living conditions for Cambodia’s urban poor, emphasizing the need for reforms to resolve land disputes, reduce debt, and address unfair eviction practices. Additionally, it highlights the environmental impacts of policies affecting natural habitats like lakes and coastal areas.
Researchers from the Stiftung Asienhaus Network conducted a study between January and June 2024 on private investment and land disputes affecting local communities in Cambodia. 10 case study areas were selected (highlighted in the map) to identify emerging dynamics as Cambodia undergoes new trends of urbanization – marked by increased pressures on land tenure and security, especially in secondary and peripheral cities.
In Phnom Penh and Kandal Province, the development of the Cheung Ek wetlands and ING city is leading to community evictions and recurrent flooding, an outcome of the lakes being filled and the construction of flood mitigation canals. The building of the Kandal New Airport has led to violence, threats, and concerns over unfair compensation for the surrounding communities. Another area affected is the Areyksat wetlands, where riverside encroachment and the planned construction of a new bridge are causing distress among communities worried about potential eviction.
The last urban poor communities of Kampot city centre, by Treuy Koh bridge, are on the brink of eviction to make way for tourist river beaches. Phum Doun Taok, a Cham fishing village, is also facing eviction and a decrease in access to the shore as the area is developed for tourism. The fishing communities of Angkal are also anticipating the construction of the Prek Funan canal, which has already started to drive speculation and raise concerns about displacement.
Sihanoukville's urban poor are facing precarious housing conditions due to planned and ongoing development. The Bay of Lights coastal land reclamation project, and the privatization of Sihanoukville’s beaches, are preventing local communities from accessing their land and coastal areas. In the relocation sites of Borey Chneas Chneas and O Ta Sek, residents are dealing with violence and increasing frustration due to economic exclusion. Land conflicts, court cases, and the planned development of Ream city have also become a source of anxiety for the inhabitants of Ream and O Oknha Heng. The communities of Tomnob Rolork, Phum Bei, and Bet Traing are facing eviction, a lack of essential services, and financial precarity.
Focus on Secondary Cities: More research is needed on urbanization trends and the integration/exclusion of the urban poor in secondary cities beyond Phnom Penh. Government efforts to boost investment in these areas lack oversight, good governance, and social impact assessments.
Lack of Awareness: Only 2% of 377 respondents from poor communities in four provinces are fully aware of development projects in their area. The government and private sector need to better inform communities and prioritize their needs in development projects.
Environmental Risks: Government development strategies, including coastal and riverside reclamation and lake filling, threaten the environment and reduce community access to fishing, affecting livelihoods.
Infrastructure Deficits: Communities across Cambodia today still face issues like poor infrastructure, lack of roads, and insufficient access to electricity, water, and secure land tenure, leaving them vulnerable to unfair compensation. This is despite the government’s existing development strategies aimed at improving housing and living conditions of Cambodia’s poorest.
The recommendations aim to improve land management, transparency, and human rights in Cambodia by: clearly demarcating state public property and making this information accessible online; ensuring transparent procedures for managing state property and requiring environmental and social impact assessments; basing expropriation compensation on market value with clear calculation processes; implementing a one-year transitional revenue system for evictees; forming representative and accountable committees to oversee expropriation; prohibiting lenders from taking physical land titles as loan collateral; and mandating human rights due diligence for major projects to align with international standards. These measures collectively promote secure land tenure, fair compensation, responsible business practices, and public trust in governance.
It is important to note that due to the wide scope of this research, the case studies chosen by researchers are cases that are presently going through critical and urgent scenarios of vulnerability that all require further in-depth study, as well as advocacy from the part of communities and civil society .
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