Report on a Visit to Cambodia for the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR), Bangkok

4. Anlong Kngan

  • The settlement has changed since I was here last. Houses, markets, earth filled plots and water tanks have cropped up. All because of the informal private sector.
  • We went to the house of a woman whose husband works on his farm so he only fees her once in two weeks. She has three children and the house is a one room affair made of bamboo and matting. It does not link.
  • The house cost R 350,000. They built the house themselves but purchased the material from the material supply yard. He gives material both on credit and on cash. On credit the interest is about 10 per cent per month.
  • They have installed a hand pump with a bore of upto 16 M. It cost them US$ 80. Water is bad for drinking but OK for washing. Below 80M the water is OK. So she buys water for drinking. A 20 litre bottle costs R 700 or R 35 per litre.
  • She used to sell vegetables in the market in her old settlement. If she had US$ 50 cash she could establish a fish vending business.
  • She has earth filled her plot of US$ 0.5 per M3 of earth. After cry from US$ 7 per M3 earth filling at the Stengkambot settlement.
  • We visited an entrepreneur who has such a tube well of upto 80M depth, built water tanks and sells water at R 2,000 per 1 M3. The water is measured with a meter that he sells to the buyer. The water is good.
  • Also visited a material supplier who provides materials, skills and support to house builders. He lives in the settlement, owns a truck, buys materials in the province and transports them here. He is a one man operation but hires labour on a day wage basis. He also buys and sells land and acts as a middle man in deals. Land prices are going up.
  • The private sector has also established a market in the area.
  • My conclusions are the same as those I put in my report the last time. The settlement is ripe for Orangi type interventions in housing, infrastructure and micro credit to entrepreneurs and community members. But before that a study on the sociology, economics and technology of housing is necessary so that a programme of supporting the existing housing process / facilitating it, rather than designing homes and giving loans for it should be initiated. Loans should be for infrastructure and economic activity that generates jobs.

5. Krang Ang Krang II

  • The settlement clusters work in physical terms but the cluster concept in social terms has not yet sunk in.
  • The clusters need toilets, hand pumps and electricity. They also need earth filling for the cluster streets and a sewage line in the street. These can be acquired through loans for each cluster and or on a self help basis or on a mix of both.
  • Water supply activities are priorities. Maybe the social fund can support the community with a deep well and a community committee can manage it, sell water and use the funds generated for other purposes.
  • The main road has a sewage line under it. Lanes can connect to it if they build their cluster sewage system and individual toilets. However, for sewage treatment again, they have to be given a grant – the social fund again?
Conclusions

In the settlements that are inhabited the development process taking place must be supported as has been suggested. For this a small cell that is constantly in touch with the process is required. Extension packages for cluster water supply, road earth filling, electricity, sewage, toilets should be prepared in writing (simply one page affairs). Regular meetings in the settlements should be held. Activists from the settlements should be hired to promote them.

February 09, 2003

UPDF Office

Anne has taken extensive notes on the discussions on my news on the Cambodian programme.

On the CDS too she has taken notes. To summarize, the CDS report should consist of:

  •  Introduction
  •  Objectives of the study
  •  Methodology of the study
  •  Findings of the study
  •  Conclusions of the study
  •  Proposals and their rationale
  •  Annexures: Land study, Relocation study, Development projects, Consultations
  • The land study requires:
  •  Linking the plans to proper legends of land category wise.
  • Requires an analysis of land laws from the point of view of the city and poor communities and the shortcoming in those laws.

The relocation study should have proposals with it. Results are not enough. Transport? Economic activity?

Development projects study: An analysis and conclusions required.

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