Natural disaster and climate change are the main issue and the concern of the people especially lack of water to use in the dry season in Ansachambok commune in Krokor district of Pursat province. 85% person of 2,397 families in 6 villages are doing agriculture as the main income livelihood. 1,033 women/men headed households among 2, 397 are poor and  they are growing rice on small plot of land, growing vegetables at home, raising poultices, be construction workers and migrate to the city to sell their labors.

The climate change become worse and worse from years to another especially in 2018 which the year that draught happened led to lacking of water for rice crop, vegetables and animals. Base on the issue above, in 2019, community people including commune agroecology facilitators, women-market agents, community rice bank representatives and water gate management committee members and Building Community Voice organization (BCV) conducted monthly meetings to raise this issue to be discussed and requested to commune authorities to rehabilitate a dam where can store water to save the life cycle of rice, vegetables and animals.

When the issue and request were raised by farmer representatives in commune monthly meetings, there is no response from the relevant stakeholders  such as  commune post administrators, health center, school masters, NGOs, commune councils, village chiefs and community as there is no guidance and decision making  from district level such as district governor, high officer from provincial department of water source and methodology and provincial from Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery.

Although, there is no response from the above stockholders, the community representatives don’t give it up, they always raise issue about lack of water and request commune council especially commune chief to rehabilitate the dam.

Until early 2022, BCV and ActionAid Cambodia conducted a forum called ” Chose nature campaign” in Krokor district and there were important and decisive spokespersons joined the forum. They are district governor of Krokor, the governor of department of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry and Deputy governor of provincial department of water resource and methodology. During Question and Answer session at the end of the forum, the community representative raised the same issue related to lack of water and request to rehabilitate the dam. After hearing the concern and request from the farmers, the district governor gave recommendation to farmer representative to bring the concern and request to the annual development plan of commune meeting.

After bringing these in to the annual development plan of commune meeting, in September 2022, commune chief of Ansachumbok approved R300 million to renovated the dam with 155 meter width and 190 meter length, and 3.5 meter depth and 2 meter slope on 1.5 hectar size.  Significantly, the dam was completely rehabilitated in January 2023 by commune budget and benefit to 719 families​ and with 599 sponsored children ( 343 girls) in 6 villages whose rice fields are located closed to the dam and the small canal connected from the dam.  Meanwhile, 1,678 families whose their rice field don’t locate closed to the dam or cannal connected from the dam, can bring their animals to the dam.

The success came from the effort and strong willingness of the grassroot moments including commune agroecology facilitators, women-market agents, community rice bank representatives and water gate management committee members to​ jointly conduct the forum​​ above where community can meet the potential government officials who can guide them to put the request and influence to the commune authorities to allocate the budget to develop their own areas for people’s benefit. In the forum, round table discussion on topics related to water, cash capital and market for local products was done.

Ms. Kum Khin, commune agroecology facilitators living Tkoltouch village expressed that “ The natural disaster affected people’s life, animals as water shortage. People bought water for household uses​, for chicken, pigs, drinking and watering small vegetable garden at home. In the dry season, I brought my animals to Tonlesap river where is 25 km away from the village and stay there from 4 to 5 months. She added that after the dam was renovated the farmers in my village and myself can grow rice twice a yar and the yield of the rice increase from one tone to 2 tons. In the future, I want to see my village have many irrigation  channels to do both wed and dry-season rice”