Climate Crisis: Cambodian Fishers Grapple With Dwindling Catches
While countries meet at a U.N. climate summit in Dubai, nations like Cambodia, which has contributed a tiny fraction of all historical carbon emissions, are calling on developed countries to do more to combat climate change.
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00:00 45-year-old Cambodian fisherman Siem Phut, who goes out every day on Southeast Asia's
00:11 largest freshwater lake, is seeing his catches dwindle.
00:27 Fish stocks are on the decline in Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake, and with them, the sole source
00:33 of income for many fishers' families and others in the industry.
00:55 Experts say extreme weather brought by climate change, as well as dam building and overfishing,
01:01 are threatening millions of people who depend on the lake for their livelihoods and food
01:06 supplies.
01:08 Some activists hope the UN COP28 climate conference taking place in Dubai will shine a light on
01:14 how to support communities like these.
01:17 "We hope that COP28 will be taking into account the important part which is building the capacity
01:25 of the community to be resilient to change."
01:31 The Cambodian government is already teaching fishing communities how to switch to fish
01:35 farming or aquaculture, and it's calling for concerted climate action from countries around
01:41 the world.
01:44 But fisherman Siem Phut is pessimistic.
01:47 He says he doesn't want his children to follow in his footsteps.
01:51 He wants them to pursue jobs that now offer better prospects than fishing.
01:56 Reminded every day as he is of the ever bigger effects of climate change.
02:02 Dolphine Chen and Louise Watt for Taiwan Plus.
02:05 [BIRDS CHIRPING]