By:
• Sao Phal Niseiy

• September 10, 2024 , 6:30 PM

PHNOM PENH — With its status of least-developed country, Cambodia says it remains committed to tackling air pollution to minimize health and economic repercussions on the population. However, as an expert observed, its success rests on both strict regulations and behavioral change.

Nearly everyone in Southeast Asia breathes polluted air and, in 2023, nine countries were ranked among the world’s 40 most polluted nations. One of them is Cambodia, which was ranked 37th out of 40.

 According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the air quality guidelines for a year average is PM2.5 level of 10 μg/m3. However, Cambodia’s air quality has exceeded the safe level. The 2023 Air Quality Index ranked Cambodia 37 out of 134 countries, with 4.6 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value.  

The Asia and Pacific regions have been impacted by the two most damaging types of air pollution: fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone.

Fine particulate matter is a group of microscopic substances measuring less than 2.5 microns—just a fraction of the width of a human hair. Such particles come primarily from burning fossil fuels and biomass, such as trees. They are dangerous as their tiny size enables them to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, leading to heart disease, lung cancer, and other potentially fatal illnesses. 

Khvay Atitya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, said that Cambodia has a science-based standard for measuring air pollution, hinting that the country's air quality is still safe.

“We have our standard for measuring air pollution as a developing country,” he said. “This standard is designed based on scientific data to balance health, environmental, and socio-economic impact.”

Regarding pollution level, he explained that Cambodia’s annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is around 2.5, and the level is 50 μg/m3 during a 24-hour period. “Therefore, our standard of measurements indicates that our air quality is at a good level and not significantly polluted,” he stressed. 

According to the Indoor Hygiene Institute, when the level of PM2.5 exceeds 35 μg/m3 for 24 hours, the air is considered unhealthy, which can cause problems for people with existing breathing issues, such as asthma. 

Or Chanmoly, a researcher and director of the Research and Innovation Center at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, said that the country has seen a surge in air pollution due to the return of business-as-usual in the post-COVID-19 pandemic, with increasing activities in transportation, waste production, and agriculture. 

“And it seems we have limited measures compared to the number of sources of pollution,” Chanmoly said.

The country’s success in dealing with air pollution might depend upon its ability to use scientific methods to identify pollution sources, as these will eventually guide the right and effective measures, he said.

“Pollution sources in Cambodia can be determined based on where we live,” Chanmoly said. “In cities like Phnom Penh, it usually comes from waste and transport, while pollution comes from agricultural activities and burning in rural areas.”

Costs of inaction to address air pollution

Although the perception of the standard to identify safe-air quality levels remains at odds, the country’s inaction to effectively tackle the current air pollution would increase the number of premature deaths and socio-economic losses.

According to the assessment of the cost of inaction to tackle air pollution sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), without drastic actions, Cambodia could see over 4,500 premature deaths due to air pollution and an economic loss of around $1.2 billion by 2030 compared to the baseline in 2015.
Graph showing annual premature deaths due to PM2.5 by 2030 in Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand. Source: UNEP/International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis 

In Cambodia, the primary sources of pollution are transportation, industry, households, construction, and electricity generation. Transportation and electricity continue to be the country’s dominant air pollution sources.  In the energy sector, for example, major sources of local power generation are hydro and coal, and minor sources include diesel, wood, and biomass.

Shweta Narayan, campaign lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA), said that though Cambodia considers coal a cheap energy source, this apparent low cost hides the significant environmental and health damages that are not accounted for in its price.

“The costs incurred due to air pollution are equivalent to 3.1 percent of GDP by 2030, presenting a grave barrier to development. While coal and other fossil fuels may appear to be an affordable energy option in the short term, their contribution to these long-term costs is substantial," Narayan added.

Mushtaq Memon, UNEP coordinator of Chemicals and Pollution Action for Asia and the Pacific, said that in view of the socio-economic costs of air pollution, the assessment also provides many recommendations for the country to minimize its future impact on health, the economy and food security.

“Accelerating the shift to clean cooking fuels can help lower harmful pollutants,” Memon said. “Improvements to waste management can benefit air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”  

He added that the electrification of road transport and the increasing share of electricity generated from renewable sources will also deliver substantial benefits for air quality while contributing to energy security and green-job creation.                                                  

Jess Beagley, policy lead at the GCHA, concurred that Cambodia's transition from fossil fuels would be significant for the country's efforts to address air pollution. 

[Doing so] will allow Cambodia to strengthen its energy sovereignty and expand electricity access in rural areas through local grids so that households do not need to depend on polluting biomass for cooking, heating, and lighting," Bealey said. 

Graph showing annual cost of air pollution by 2030 in US dollars in Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand. Source: UNEP/International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis 

Significant progresses in tackling air pollution but a long journey ahead

Environment Ministry’s Atitya emphasized that the government has taken the impacts of air pollution and the huge cost of inaction seriously, pointing out that various measures have been unveiled to address air pollution, promote air quality, and ensure public health.

“So far, the ministry continues to carry out plan actions to address air pollution and promote air quality through existing plans, such as the Clean Air Plan of Cambodia in 2022,” Aitthya said.

The “Clean Air Plan of Cambodia,” which was designed based on United Nations standards, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. It combines government policies with legal standards covering measures to prevent and reduce public air pollution, and the sub-degree on Air Pollution Control and Noise Disturbance.

Memon of UNEP agreed that Cambodia has taken significant steps to boost the country's ability to tackle pollution issues through policy frameworks and technical capacity.

He pointed out that the 2023 Code on Environment and Natural Resources and the expansion of air-quality monitoring capacity through the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development along with the Pan Asia Partnership for Geospatial Air Pollution Information have been essential steps.

 “Cambodia’s involvement in international efforts to improve air quality, such as the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific Regional Action Programme on Air Pollution, is also critical,” Memon explained.

Beagley of the GCHA also observed that Cambodia's unveiling of the Clean Air Plan is a necessary and substantial first step in addressing air pollution's health and economic burden. 

According to her, in addition to the detailed actions in the Clean Air Plan, the Southeast Asian country is one of the top-scoring countries in GCHA’s Clean Air Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Scorecard. 

"It scores highly regarding cross-sectoral action, which includes urban planning tools for climate change mitigation and air pollution reduction, plus risk analysis for electricity infrastructures to improve air quality," she said, adding that it is exemplary that other countries should follow suit to maximize gains across climate, air quality, and health. 

When asked about by-sector intervention, Atitya of the Environment Ministry responded that Cambodia has worked on improving fuel quality and reducing vehicle emissions through a wide range of mandatory measures.

“The ministry collaborates with relevant stakeholders and the private sector to promote fuel quality in the country,” Atitya said. “From 2024, fuel from each gas station needs to comply with government regulations, passing the Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards.”

Motorists and cars make their way in traffic along a street in Phnom Penh on February 6, 2024. AFP

Concerning vehicle emission standards, he explained that Cambodia has been improving standards for emissions from vehicles.  “New vehicles imported into Cambodia must meet Euro IV vehicle emission standards.

“The ministry will implement Euro V vehicle emission standards in 2027,” Atitya continued, pointing out that the fuel-quality standards roadmap and the Euro VI emission standard have also been introduced.

Cambodia has seen exponential growth in private vehicles, primarily motor vehicles and cars, in the streets. According to a Public Works and Transportation report, as of 2023, the number of registered automobiles in Cambodia had risen to over 1 million—around 744,755 of which are light. Meanwhile, the number of motorcycles reached 5.8 million. This marked increase in vehicles has led to declining air quality and profoundly impacted public health.

Regarding the rising number of vehicles, Chanmoly observed that many vehicles on the streets in Cambodia are in poor condition, perhaps having been resold to second or even third owners, which increases environmental impacts.

“Normally, older vehicles as such need a filtering system to minimize particles and other pollutants from emitting,” he said, “But we don’t have it here.”

In an attempt to reduce environmental impacts from vehicles, the proposal to ban imports of older automobiles has been made over the past years, with vehicles older than ten years being banned by 2024 and older than five years being prohibited by 2030. However, the idea was rejected by Prime Minister Hun Manet, who cited technological inspection and strengthening quality control as more important because people still cannot afford to purchase new cars.  

Regarding pollution from the agriculture sector, Cambodia is promoting information dissemination and increasing efforts to prevent forest fires, slash-and-burn practices, and the burning of agricultural waste in the open, Atitya said. Meanwhile, a working group has been established to cooperate with Thailand to tackle transboundary pollution on land, in the air and in water, he said.

“We also have the “Blue Sky Strategy” and the Circular Strategy on Environment 2023-2028, which has three central angles: clean, green, and sustainable,” Atitya noted, adding that, through these strategies, the ministry has been preparing a sub-decree for air pollution control and noise and vibration management,   

“We are also preparing regulations and procedures that mandate locations with primary sources of air pollution to install air purifying and self-regulatory systems based on the ministry’s data,” he added.  

Fostering behavioral change is still essential

As air pollution continues to affect people’s well-being in the city or remote areas due to the rapid socio-economic changes, researchers such as Or Chanmoly believe that people's participation and contribution will be beneficial—work that goes beyond laws and regulations.

“This is the most challenging work but the most crucial aspect to take on,” he said, adding that strong awareness among people is still essential to help people change the current practices contributing to air pollution.

According to Chanmoly, several behavioral changes and individual practices can contribute to the solution to air pollution as long as they address potential pollution sources, one of which is waste management practices.

He pointed out that people’s capacity to stop burning waste will greatly reduce air pollution.

In addition, reducing electricity consumption and using alternative commuting methods while reducing reliance on fuel-combustion engine vehicles will improve air quality. Creating green spaces and planting trees are also critical to filtering and purifying city air.

“Participation is the most crucial part,” Chanmoly said. “When they do not know about air pollution, they do not participate. It is not about having them help reduce pollution, but at least they could avoid doing things that create pollution.”

While the government can enact stringent laws and regulations to deal with pollution, promoting knowledge that leads to voluntary change in behavior will be a great help, Chanmoy concluded.

The article was modified to add comments from the Global Climate and Health Alliance representatives.