Abstract
We conducted field research around Phnom Penh in the Cambodian lower Mekong plain, which was damaged by heavy flooding between August and October 2011. Flooded areas shown by satellite images and inundation depths measured in the field corresponded to the distribution of micro landforms. Flood water flowed through the Mekong River floodplain, and the area along the Tonle Sap River was heavily inundated. The flood water also reached higher alluvial surfaces, which are rarely inundated during the usual monsoon season. Although the flooding was comparable to that occurring in 2000, there was relatively less damage to infrastructure. In this region with cyclic annual flooding, people in local settlements make adaptations to maintain traditional lifestyles and land use patterns to minimize the risk of floods.
