Urbanisation in Cambodia,

Past, Present & Future Trends,

Influencing Factors and Challenges
Declan OLeary CIUS Adviser
Presentation given at the

Human Rights Based Spatial Planning Conference,

Phnom Penh, November 4-5, 2015
Organised by: People in Need & Sahmakum Teang Tnaut and supported by the European Union

Contents
1. CIUS Who We are
2. Global to Local
1)

Global and Regional

Urbanisation

3. Historical Urbanisation
A Quick Look Back to Antiquity,
the Angkorian City Complex
Urban Decline

4. Contemporary Urbanisation
5. What is Considered Urban
1.

7.

Rural Urban Migration

The Present Situation

8.

The Urban Distribution

Projections of Urbanisation in
Cambodia

The Rapidly Changing Influence

of Urbanisation in Cambodia

9.

Urban Areas as Growth Centres

(Urban Drivers 2)
10. Conclusions

Reclassification of Urban Areas

2004, 2011

6. What Are the Drivers of

Urbanisation

The Demographic Profile

2

CIUS-Cambodian Institute for

Urban Studies Who we are
CIUS is a newly established independent research and
advisory organisation focusing on urban related issues
in Cambodia and the region.
It emerges from a long running informal network of
experts & professionals involved & engaged with
urban related development.
It is current located at Pannasatra University of
Cambodias (PUC), Toul Kork Campus, who have
kindly provided much appreciated office space
during the start-up phase.

More information at
Facebook Page: Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies (CIUS),
CIUS can be contacted at cambodian.cius@gmail.com
3

Global & Regional Urbanisation 1

Since 2007 more than half of the Worlds Population
(~7,000 Million) now lives in an Urban Area.
The most recent estimates indicate that >54% of
the worlds population of ~7.3 billion were urban
based in 2014 (WUP 2014).

Asia, despite its lower level of urbanization, is

currently home to ~55% of the worlds urban
population.

Global & Regional Urbanisation 2

The worlds urban population
has grown rapidly, from 746
million in 1950, to 3.9 billion in
2014.
It is projected to reach ~5
billion by 2030 and 6.3 billion
by 2015.
Adding ~2.5 billion people to
the worlds urban population by
2050,

With nearly 90% of the

increase concentrated in
Asia & Africa.
5

Global & Regional Urbanisation 3

UNESCAP/ UNHABITAT (2015) The State of Asian & Pacific Cities 2015

Global & Regional Urbanisation 4

So by 2050, the world will be one third rural (34%) & twothirds urban (66%). Roughly the reverse of the global ruralurban population distribution of the mid-20th century.

Historical Urbanisation
A Quick Look Back to Antiquity
the Angkorian City Complex

Urbanisation During the Angkorian

Period
It is theorised that the Angkorian City Complex in
current day Siem Reap, at its peak during the ~1213th Centuries
Was home to between 750,000-1,000,000 people
(and maybe even more).
Covered an estimated 3,000km2,
Considering that contemporary Phnom Penh
covers roughly ~680km2.

This would have made it one of the largest, if not

the largest settlements in the Pre Industrial World at
that time
9

Its Urban Decline 1

But within a couple of hundred years it was mostly
abandoned, why?
It would appear that the sprawling city complex area, had
adversely altered the ecosphere which sustained the city, which
made Angkor extremely climatically and socially vulnerable , by

Progressively transforming the land scape to expand the city s

(costly) infrastructure (incl. 1,000 km2 of water management
systems) and agricultural system to sustain the city, which
increasing erosion and deposition in the important irrigation
systems which became clogged.
Compounded by a period of regional climate change
involving prolonged droughts and intense monsoons during
the 14th and 15th Century according to regional tree ring
studies covering the period 1030-2010 (in Buckley et.al in PNAS
vol.107, #15, 2010).
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Urban Decline 2
This combinations of episodic water shortage
and extreme flows from the late 13th -15th
centuries
Likely led to cascading consequences that
destabilised the citys dependent systems to feed
and sustain itself.
Even though it is evident that efforts were made to
adapt the irrigation infrastructure to try and cope
with the changes, which were unsuccessful .

This weakened the Angkorian Capitals ability to

sustain itself and exposed it to external threats.
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Contemporary Urbanisation
But what do we know of Cambodias more
contemporary urbanisation?

12

Contemporary Urbanisation 1
Urbanisation in Cambodia has a number of
unique attributes, in that
In living memory all the major urban areas were
emptied of the majority of their populations in 1975.
Ownership claims of property prior to 1975 were
extinguished in 1989.
The percentage of urbanisation is comparatively low
but rapidly increasing.
With resulting changes in the social and economic
landscape of the country.

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What do we Consider Urban

Previous Definition of Urban
Areas (Pre 2004)
The previous designation of
urban areas was based on
administrative criteria, namely:
i. All provincial towns (& the
districts containing them)
ii. Only Four of Phnom Penhs
(then) 7 districts (the other

This led to exaggerated figures

for urban areas, as the districts
were often large and mainly of
rural character.

iii. The provinces of Sihanoukville,

Kep &Pailin, as they had been
designated Krongs or

Did not capture other areas with

high population numbers,
densities & urban characteristics

three were then considered rural)

The designation didnt allow for

agglomeration of areas
abutting each other, or

municipalities (since the 1960s)

though never developed.

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Reclassification of Urban Areas 1

2004 Reclassification (RC2004)
Criteria used
Population density >200 persons square kilometer
% of male employment in agriculture <50%
Total population of the commune exceeding 2,000
persons
Resulting in
162 Communes/ Sangkats considered Urban, in 37
Identified urban areas (ranging in size from ~5000 to over
100,000 persons)

Adjusted the % of the popn living in an urban areas from

16% to 18% in 1998
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Reclassification of Urban Areas 2

2011 Reclassification (RC2011)
Criteria used
Population density >200 persons square kilometer
% of population (both sexes) in agriculture <50%
Total population of the commune exceeding 2,000
Resulting in
289 Communes / Sangkats considered as Urban
With 27% of the Population living in urban areas in
2008 up from 20%
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What are the Drivers of Urbanisation ?

There are multiple drivers, but primarily
Cambodias Demographic Profile is the main one, with ~60%
of the population under 30 years of age (~29% under15 years
of age)
Cambodia Overall 2008 & 2013

Cambodia Urban

Cambodia Rural

Source (CIPS 2013)

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Resulting in Rural to Urban Migration

Increasing migration for
economic opportunities in
urban areas, particularly in the
15-30 years age group. Caused
by:
Reducing agricultural
employment and earning
potential from agriculture,

Partially through increasing

mechanisation.
Limited land holding (avg. 1.6
hectares) by agricultural
dependent households
Limited access to affordable
land in significant parts of the
country for expansion.
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The Present Situation

The Royal Government has designates 27 Municipalities
across the Country (since 2008)
The Capital Phnom Penh with its 12 Khans/ Districts
The 24 Provincial capitals
2 Border Municipalities
Cumulative these have 225 Communes/ Sangkats within
their boundaries.
There are a further 64 Communes that meet the official
urban criteria established by the Ministry of Planning

19

The Urban Distribution

20

Adjustments Due to Urban Reclassification

The percentage of Urbanisation in terms of each provinces population. The 2011
Reclassification adjusted the percentage of each province. This raised the national
figure from 20% to 27% of the population living in an urban areas in 2008 which
has continued to increase.

21

 As can be seen of the 3.6

Million people identified
as living in Urban Areas in
2008 (RC2011),
42% (~1.5 Million) of these
were in the Capital
Phnom Penh.
39% (~1.4 Million) were in
the other 26 Municipalities
19% (0.7 Million) were in
the other urban
communes, the largest of
which had over 50,000
People
22

The Projections of Urbanisation in

Cambodia
One possible Long View, based on the United Nations standardised
Projection Approach. But is it right?

23

The Rapidly Changing Influence of

Urbanisation in Cambodia
The following charts shows the influence of the reclassification of Urban Areas and the
increase pace of urbanisation in the country against the standardised model . This shows
that
By 2020, a third of the countrys population will be living in an urban area and
By 2050 over half of the population will be living in an urban area

24

Urban Areas as Growth Centres

(Urban Drivers 2)
In 2011 the Cambodian Economic Census (CES)
identified 505,134 enterprises in Cambodia
By 2014 for the Inter-censal Economic Survey reported
513,759 enterprises scatterd across the Country.

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Concentration of Businesses &(Non Agri)

Employment in Municipalities
On closer inspect the following chart shows the
concentration of Provincial Economic Businesses and
their employment levels in terms of the overall
provincial levels

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Some of the Current Challenges

Continued inconsistencies in the reported of figures for
Municipalities /cities and towns due to
Under reporting of urban demographic /populations in key
population documents.
Between the figures report due to
The Commune Database (CDB) data and
Periodic enumeration (Censuses and Inter-Censal Surveys).

Levels of Service Provision

Water Supply, Sanitation

Land and Tenure Issues

Tenure situation/land titling and land conflicts

27

Factor in Under Reporting of Urban

Areas

The use of obsolete urban datasets

The recent Cambodian Inter-censal Population Survey (CIPS)
used the 2004 urban dataset, which only considered 169
Communes as urban
Rather than the more recent 2011 RC which identified 289
communes as urban. Which led to a lower attribution of people
to urban areas resulting in only 21% of the population being
reported as living in urban areas rather than the more likely ~30%

Under reporting of Urban populations particularly in Phnom Penh

due to disregarding the migrating population
Local authorities usually report the population based on issued family
books and not the resident population.
A Recent JICA review (Nishi 2013) found that the Sangkat figures
for Phnom Penh and the census data 2008 differed by ~19% which
indicates a significant under reporting of the urban population in
the capital at least.
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Conclusions

Consideration of Urbanisation in Cambodia is currently lagging behind its

increasing important role(s) in the country, with the progressive
movement of the population to urban areas.

Little or no clear policy and or strategies for effective consideration of the

influence and impacts of urbanisation are in place, which are critical.
Though it is acknowledged that some activities on these are underway
The Municipal land use plans etc.. being prepared but as yet
unapproved,
The National Urban Development Strategy (NUDS) Framework
being prepared ,

But continued delays could have detrimental impacts on short to medium

term development prospects, limit sustainable development options and
have adverse impacts on the urban population and the environment
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