PHNOM PENH, Aug 10 — Changing monsoon patterns linked to climate change are putting pressure on Cambodia’s sea salt industry, which relies on prolonged dry and sunny conditions for production.

In recent years, unusually heavy rainfall during the dry season has disrupted production in Kampot and Kep provinces, Cambodia’s main salt-producing region.

“Over the last five years, production patterns have changed due to heavy rain and high tides (that flood salt ponds).

“Climate change is a big challenge for salt production because our production depends entirely on weather conditions,” Association of Geographical Indication Kampot-Kep Salt Producers’ President Bun Narin told Bernama. 

Kampot and neighbouring Kep province, located about 150 kilometres southwest of Phnom Penh, form the heart of Cambodia’s traditional salt industry, where salt production has been practised for decades.

A total of 141 producers harvest sea salt using traditional, labour-intensive solar evaporation techniques across the coastal areas of the two provinces.

The harvest takes place mainly during the dry season, from October to May, when seawater is channelled into shallow evaporation ponds. Under the intense tropical sun, the water gradually evaporates, leaving layers of salt crystals that are collected by hand, according to experts.

Kampot-Kep salt received Geographical Indication (GI) certification in April 2023, giving the region’s distinctive sea salt greater recognition for its quality and origin.

Narin said producers expect to harvest about 75,000 metric tonnes of salt this year, compared with only around 30,000 tonnes in 2025, when persistent rainfall disrupted production.

However, climate is not the only challenge confronting salt producers. He said poor infrastructure, including limited access to roads, electricity supplies and drinking water, was adding to salt farmers’ difficulties.

According to local media reports, the influx of cheaper imported salt, particularly from neighbouring countries, is another concern for local producers, adding further pressure on demand for domestically produced salt.

According to Cambodia’s National Council for Sustainable Development, the country is highly vulnerable to climate change, ranking 12th globally in the Global Climate Risk Index.

It faces growing risks from floods, heavy rainfall, droughts and extreme weather, threatening the highly climate-sensitive agricultural sector and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. — Bernama