Climate-induced water stress on Cambodian agriculture: a systematic review of drought, flood, and rainfall impacts

Abstract

Climate change is amplifying water extremes that jeopardize agricultural production and food security in vulnerable regions such as river deltas. Cambodia, located in the Lower Mekong Basin, is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. However, the availability of actionable, context-specific evidence from existing empirical and modeling studies to inform national adaptation planning remains uncertain. This study presents a PRISMA-guided systematic review (2000–2024) to synthesize current knowledge on climate-induced water stress in Cambodian agriculture and identify key research gaps limiting evidence-based policy and practice. Further, it identifies research priorities aligned with the Cambodian climate action plan. A systematic search of five major academic databases identified 402 unique records, of which 24 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria. The evidence was synthesized using a narrative synthesis approach. The reviewed studies consistently project substantial biophysical changes over the coming decades, including rising temperatures, wetter wet seasons, prolonged dry periods, and more frequent and intense droughts. These changes pose significant risks to agricultural productivity, particularly rice-based systems that dominate Cambodia’s cultivated land and underpin national food security. However, the existing evidence base remains geographically and contextually fragmented, with a strong emphasis solely on rice in a limited number of regions while largely overlooking other crops, livestock, aquaculture, and plantation agriculture. Important knowledge gaps include the effects of shifting seasonal patterns, the integration of flood and drought projections into crop simulation models, and the economic implications of water stress on agricultural production. To strengthen climate-resilient agricultural planning, this review identifies priority research areas aligned with national adaptation needs, including integrating hydrological forecasts with crop and economic models, expanding groundwater and water-quality research, broadening sectoral coverage beyond rice, and improving mechanisms that translate scientific evidence into policy, financing, and governance. Addressing these priorities will strengthen evidence-based investments, resilience, and livelihoods across Cambodia’s diverse agroecological landscapes.