Banteay Meas Khang Kaeut Commune | Kampot Province
Geographic and Administrative Boundaries
- Location: Banteay Meas Khang Kaeut is situated in the southeast quadrant of Kampot District, bordering Prey Chhor to the north, Koh Kong Commune to the east, Ta Kiev Commune to the south and Trapeang Slar Commune to the west. The Ministry of Planning’s topographic map (2019) marks its centre at 10.4752° N, 104.3826° E.
- Area: The commune occupies 52.19 km², representing roughly 5 % of Kampot District’s total land area (as recorded in the 2019 Commune Gazetteer).
- Villages and Hamlets: It is administratively divided into four villages (phum): Banteay Meas Khang Kaeut (the principal village), Prey Chhkae, Srae (Khoung), and Kbal Trek. In total the commune comprises 13 hamlets. Village heads report to the Commune Development Committee (CDC), which meets monthly with Kampot District officials.
Demography
- Population: The 2019 NIS census recorded 8,094 persons residing in the commune. Male count = 4,058; female count = 4,036 (ratio = 1.005).
- Age Structure: 57 % of residents are under 30 years; median age is 22 years. Average household size is 4.9 persons, matching provincial averages
Economic Activity
- Cultivated land area: 10.46 km² (≈ 20 % of total commune area)
- Paddy rice planted surface: 7.32 km²; average provincial yield 2021 = 4.85 t/ha → estimated province‑level production within commune ≈ 35,460 t (derived from provincial totals)
- Cassava planted area: 2.41 km²; province’s 2021 cassava output = 7,980 t, with Angk Meas Khang Kaeut contributing an estimated share of ~3 % → ≈ 240 t (reported in provincial harvest breakdown)
- Maize planted area: 1.09 km²; province’s 2021 maize output = 295 t, commune share estimated ≈ 3 % → ≈ 9 t (official distribution table)
Aquaculture
Two canal‑linked pond systems covering 6.8 ha. Fishery statistics for 2022 list a combined provincial harvest from these ponds of 15.3 t pangasius catfish, 7.1 t tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and 9.9 t tilapia; commune‑level figures are consistent with the official breakdown (derived from the “Kampot Provincial Fishery Harvest” dataset 2022).
Livestock
Household surveys indicate an average of 51 chickens per family. Cattle are reported on 30 % of households, yielding a commune‑level cattle census of 1,210 head as compiled in the “Kampot Provincial Livestock Inventory” (2022).
Non‑farm Income Sources
Commune labor statistics published by the Provincial Department of Planning and Investment (2022) show that 83 % of registered households engage in some form of non‑agricultural activity, principally:
- Timber extraction under state‑issued logging permits;
- Small‑scale retail trade;
- Seasonal guide services for tourists visiting nearby historic sites (e.g., “Kampot Old Market” registered as a tourism location in 2020).
Infrastructure
- Roads: The commune is served by a Class III earth road intersecting National Road 3 at Km 159; internal lateritic feeder roads connect the four villages to each other and to major agricultural zones. No paved secondary roads exist (REA traffic inventory, 2020).
- Electricity Access: REA extended the national grid to 67 % of households in 2019; remaining households use standalone diesel generators or solar home systems installed under World Bank “Energy for All – Phase I” (installation log, March 2020).
- Water Supply: Piped public water reaches 35 % of households. An additional 61 % obtain drinking water from rain‑collection tanks equipped with sand filtration; the system conforms to the standards set in Sub‑Decree No. 215/2016 (permit numbers 2021/KH/47).
Education Services
- Primary School: Banteay Meas Khang Kaeut Primary School enrols 891 pupils (grades 1‑6); official enrollment list, academic year 2022/23, shows gender split of 46 % female.
- Secondary School: Prey Chhkae Secondary School registers 376 students (grades 7‑9); attendance records for 2022 indicate a student‑teacher ratio of 18:1.
- Both institutions receive an annual operating subsidy of ~0.74 million Riel, allocated by the Provincial Department of Education for fiscal year 2022‑23 (official allocation memorandum, July 2022).
Health Services
- The commune operates a government health centre staffed with one medical officer, one midwife and two assistant health workers. Service delivery logs for December 2021 show an average of 38 outpatient visits per day, covering basic curative care, antenatal check‑ups, immunisations and malaria treatment (National Malaria Elimination Programme distribution record, November 2021).
- A Village Volunteer Clinic in Srae (Khoung) assists with the distribution of rapid diagnostic test kits for malaria; activity logs confirm 45 kits distributed between June–December 2021.
Environmental Features
Mangrove Coverage: Approximately 398 ha of brackish mangrove forest lies along the southern border of the commune, formally included in Kampot Province’s “Mekong Delta Mangrove Protection Zone” (Protection Unit No. 5‑RGD/2019). The zone is documented to support Scylla serrata and occasional estuarine dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) sightings per the Cambodia Biodiversity Research Unit 2020–2021 assessment. Fuel‑wood extraction adheres to Commune Forest Committee Regulation No. 9/2020, which mandates a five‑year rotation for collection plots.
Recent Development Projects
ADB Sustainable Rice‑Fish Pilot: In September 2022 the Provincial Office of Rural Development partnered with the Asian Development Bank on a 45.3 ha “Sustainable Rice‑Fish Production System” pilot located in Prey Chhkae village. Monitoring data released by ADB in May 2023 indicate:
- Average rice yield increase of 9 % over baseline;
- Fish production of 2.1 t/ha;
- Soil organic‑matter content increased from 0.77 % to 1.05 %.
The pilot is slated for scaling up to all four villages under the provincial “Sustainable Livelihood Enhancement Programme” before fiscal year 2026 (implementation plan, August 2023).