AKP Phnom Penh, October 1, 2026 --

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has called on relevant institutions to pay close attention to the potential impacts of the El Niño phenomenon, following some scientific warnings about increasing risks associated with the phenomenon over the coming six months.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of National Road No. 10, with a total length of 198.518 kilometres in Pursat province on Oct. 1, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet said scientists had forecasted and warned that El Niño could seriously cause up to approximately 450,000 deaths of vulnerable people over the next six months, urging relevant institutions and the public to remain vigilant.

The Prime Minister also advised the relevant institutions to review and properly manage the country's water storage capacity in order to prepare for and address potential challenges posed by the phenomenon.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, as of the first half of 2026, Cambodia had a total of 1,659 water storage reservoirs nationwide, with a combined maximum storage capacity of approximately 4 billion cubic metres.

Of these, nine major reservoirs located across seven provinces have a combined maximum storage capacity of approximately 1 billion cubic metres.

By Heng Panha