Flooding caused by recent heavy rains has affected more than 1,400 hectares of rice crops four districts of Kampong Thom province, creating significant early-season damage.

The four impacted districts are Kampong Svay, Sandan, Prasat Sambor and Stoung, with a total of 1,471 hectares of fields belonging to 1,307 families affected as of June 15, according to Soth Kimkolmony, spokesperson for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) earlier today, June 16.

“The recent days of rainfall have caused a significant rise in water levels of the Stung Sen River, leading to flooding in the four districts, which span 18 communes. Some crops have already been damaged,” he said.

On June 15, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology Thor Chetha visited flood-affected areas in Kampong Svay district. In Kampong Svay commune alone, 247 hectares of rice fields were impacted.

Kampong Thom provincial governor Nuon Pharat also inspected the flooding, on June 13.

He noted that this year, water levels in both the Stung Sen and Stung Stoung rivers have risen faster than usual, disrupting transportation and rice farming in several areas.

He urged the public “to exercise increased caution, particularly for the safety of young children”.

According to the first Mekong River flood forecast of 2025, released by the Ministry of Water Resources on June 5, Cambodia experienced a 100% ENSO Neutral phase in May.

From June to September, the forecast indicates a 10% chance of El Niño conditions with ENSO Neutral declining from 100% to 60%, suggesting a transitional period between El Niño and La Niña phases. The probability of La Niña may increase from 10% to 30%.

“Such conditions are expected to bring moderate to heavy rainfall in the Mekong River Basin, including Cambodia, and some areas may experience heavy downpours that could cause flash floods along rivers and tributaries,” the Ministry warned.