Phnom Penh (FN), March 11 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed for local authorities, particularly water resource ministry, to solve water crisis in the dry season, addressing Monday at the graduation ceremony of over 3,000 graduates from the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULES).

“We still face water crisis this dry season. Digging well is better than water distribution,” Prime Minister stated.

Prime Minister also urged farmers to do only one-time farming in dry season and reserve water for daily usage and for watering other crops besides paddy. He urged all state and private institutions, as well as the Cambodian Red Cross to stand ready for timely assistance.

According to the government’s circular, Cambodia will face drought during April and May and that temperature will rise to 40-42 degree Celsius due to El Nino.

In the circular, it stressed that the influence of El Niño will also cause less rainfall, thunderstorms and winds, and late rainy season.

El Niño Southern Oscillation refers to the cycle of warm and cold temperatures, as measured by sea surface temperature of the tropical central and eastern Pacific Ocean. El Niño is accompanied by high air pressure in the western Pacific and low air pressure in the eastern Pacific.