1. Thesis: Mainstreaming climate and environmental risks management in donors-funded road
infrastructure projects in Cambodia
Scholars have focused on the ex-ante environmental impacts triggered by and emerging
concerns of climatic impacts to large and small road infrastructure investments. Though,
they looked in some detail at measures to reduce these adverse environmental and climate
impacts or to adapt; however the act of managing such the adverse impacts in donors-assisted
road investments is under-researched. The development donors such as Asian Development
Bank provide financial and technical support to developing-country governments largely in
climate-sensitive sectors and often in vulnerable locations, particularly those exposed to
extreme climate events. Their “as-usual development assistance” may actually increase
vulnerability of climate change and hamper the progress of sustainable economic growth, but
can be designed to reduce climate risks. This research explores accountability and
institutional challenges to enhance sustainable and climate- resilient road investment practice
in Cambodia. The research contributes to a growing interest in whether the donors or their
development aid can play a leading role in promoting good development design and
management under the climate change uncertainty.
BunlongLeng(Masters,AsianInstitute of Technology,Thailand) isaPhDcandidate at the University
of Melbourne supportedbyAUSAID,andpreviouslyworkedforthe WorldBankinCambodiaina
varietyof infrastructure projectsinCambodiaandLoaPDR.
Figure Error! No text of specified style in document..1 Conceptual Framework for data collection
and analysis
Government Ministries
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Institutional Challenges
and Opportunities
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Climate
Change
Adaptation
Environmental Assessment
Safeguards vs. Climate Risks and
Adaptation Assessment
Development
Project
Appraisal
Design
Implementation
Monitoring &
Evaluation
Identification
Implementing Agencies
Institutional change
Climate-Resilient
Development
Practice
Development donors

2. Discussion topics:
1. Anyparticularscholarsor articlesthatcritique roadinvestmentsthatIshouldhave
consulted.
2. If you are inmy committee members,whatare the general/specificthingsdoyouexpectto
see comingoutfrom the research.
3. What one or two aspectsshall be consideredin dataanalysis forthe climate resilientroad
projects?