Don't Wait For Rain - Neighbours Together

To understand how Cambodians live with climate change and how media can be used to improve their lives, BBC Media Action conducted a large-scale study of people's everyday experience of climate change in the country. Sample finding: "The most vulnerable people in Cambodia are the very poor, who are particularly struggling to adapt to climate change. Living their lives from day to day, they worry most about immediate needs such as having adequate food and water, and find it hard to plan for the future. As well as feeling they lack the information or resources to act, this group does not feel able to discuss making changes with other community members." These and other findings from this study informed both the topics covered and the format of the TV programme in an attempt to ensure the content would be accessible, engaging, and transformative.

On air nationally from February to May 2019, Don't Wait For Rain sought to reach the audiences in Cambodia most vulnerable to climate change. The series showcased what were meant to be easily replicable and affordable techniques that people could use to protect themselves against the effects of extreme weather. It also explored reasons that may prevent people from planning for extreme weather in the first place, such as financial worries or a lack of confidence in trying something new.

The show focused on a different region each week, exploring the weather challenges most relevant to people in the area, and paired local experts with those experiencing problems to explain how simple steps can lead to life-changing results. Topics covered included early warning flood systems, drinking water storage methods, and grafting plants together to make them more resilient to drought and pests.

To ensure people living in hard-to-reach areas without access to a TV get the chance to view the show, BBC Media Action took Don't Wait For Rain to the people with community screenings across five priority areas of the country. At these events, organisers facilitated discussions amongst the audience about the problems and solutions seen in the show and held live demonstrations of the techniques featured.

The events were also meant to connect communities to experts and resources in viewers' local area who could support them in making changes at home. For example, in one episode, audiences see a female farmer in Central Cambodia who felt helpless when all of her crops were washed away by flood waters, an increasingly common risk in her region. BBC Media Action paired Ming Mao (pictured above) with a local expert who taught her how to build a raised vegetable garden to grow food above flood levels. When she is revisited later in the episode after another flooding, her new garden has remained completely untouched.

Videos from Don't Wait For Rain were shared on BBC Media Action's Facebook page, such as on World Environment Day 2019.

Climate Change