The Boiling Point: Cambodia’s Informal Workers Face a Climate Choice—Earn or Survive

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The concrete in Phnom Penh doesn’t just hold heat; it radiates a relentless, suffocating energy that turns the midday air into a physical weight. For Keo Yityan, a 44-year-old construction worker, the sun is no longer just a feature of the workday—it is an adversary.

After two decades in the construction industry, Yityan is intimately familiar with the demands of his labor. But as Cambodia endures record-breaking, climate-driven heatwaves, the stakes have shifted. When the thermometer climbs past the threshold of human endurance, Yityan faces a cruel paradox: he can step into the shade and protect his health, or he can continue working to ensure his family eats.

In this economy, there is no third option.

A Fragile Safety Net

Cambodia’s informal workforce—the lifeblood of the nation’s streets, construction sites, and markets—finds itself increasingly exposed. From tuk-tuk drivers navigating stagnant traffic to vendors standing over open-fire carts, these workers operate in the crosshairs of a warming planet.

While the government’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has expanded its reach, it remains a system built for a different era. Formal employees enjoy the security of pensions, paid leave, and comprehensive workplace injury protections. In contrast, informal workers are left to navigate a precarious landscape where healthcare coverage is provided, but financial stability is not.

"I pay for health insurance every month so I can go to the hospital when I get sick," Yityan explains. "But I still face difficulties because I have no income to support my daily expenses when I stop working."

The Reality of "Heat-Driven" Hardship

The numbers tell a harrowing story. In 2024, parts of Cambodia hit a staggering 42.8°C—the hottest weather the country has seen in 170 years. As 2026 continues this trend of extreme temperatures, the "advice" often offered to workers—to wear light clothing and drink water—rings hollow for those whose survival is tied to continuous output.

For laborers like Yityan and security guards like Yang Vor, the NSSF health card acts as a vital shield against medical bankruptcy, but it does nothing to replace lost wages during a heat-induced illness.

"If we don't work, we don't earn money to support our families," Yityan says. For him, a day off is not a recovery period; it is a financial crisis.

A System Outpaced by Climate Change

Labor advocates are now sounding the alarm, arguing that social protection must evolve from a "healthcare-only" model into a comprehensive economic defense.

Vorn Pov, president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association, highlights the systemic hurdles that keep many in the informal sector at risk. Beyond the lack of income replacement, he points to the digital and financial barriers preventing many from accessing even the current limited benefits. Complex registration processes and the inability to afford consistent monthly contributions keep the most vulnerable outside the safety net entirely.

Furthermore, critics argue that the current family coverage schemes—which often limit support to a single child—fail to account for the realities of large, low-income households.

The Call for a New Social Contract

While the Ministry of Labor continues to encourage employers to improve ventilation and safety protocols on construction sites and in factories, labor representatives insist this is only a partial solution. They are urging policymakers to treat social protection for informal workers not as a luxury, but as a critical component of climate adaptation.

As Cambodia’s landscape transforms under the pressure of climate change, the informal sector is waiting for a policy shift that recognizes their reality: when the climate turns hostile, the most vulnerable among us are currently paying the highest price.

For workers like Yityan, the mandate is simple, yet increasingly impossible to sustain: when the heat becomes unbearable, staying home is not an option.

Do you believe that climate-related income protection should be a mandatory government policy for informal workers in developing nations?.

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