Natural-disaster risk in Cambodia

In Cambodia, the leading natural-disaster exposures are flooding, extreme heat, storms (hurricane/cyclone). The safest city for disasters is Kampong Chhnang (safety 68/100). Risk is modelled from real USGS counts of magnitude-4.5+ earthquakes within 300 km since 1980 plus Köppen climate zones and cyclone/subduction geography.

Cambodia — average disaster exposure by type (1-5)

Safest cities in Cambodia from natural disasters

Kampong Chhnang — safety 68/100, main risk flooding
Pursat — safety 68/100, main risk flooding
Siem Reap — safety 68/100, main risk flooding
Battambang — safety 68/100, main risk flooding
Sihanoukville — safety 66/100, main risk flooding
Phnom Penh — safety 65/100, main risk flooding
Takeo — safety 64/100, main risk flooding
Kampong Cham — safety 63/100, main risk storms (hurricane/cyclone)

What drives Cambodia's disaster profile

Across the 8 Cambodia cities in our data, the three highest average exposures are flooding (4.0/5), extreme heat (3.0/5) and storms (hurricane/cyclone) (1.4/5). These reflect geography rather than chance: earthquake tiers come from real USGS records of magnitude-4.5+ events within 300 km, storm risk from position in a tropical-cyclone basin, flood from rainfall regime and low-lying terrain, and wildfire/heat from Köppen climate zone. The full modelled profile for Cambodia is flooding 4.0/5; extreme heat 3.0/5; storms (hurricane/cyclone) 1.4/5; drought 1.2/5; earthquake 1.0/5; wildfire 1.0/5; extreme cold / winter 1.0/5; tsunami 1.0/5. Use it as a relative guide between cities — a high tier means plan for it (insurance, building codes, location within the city), not that disaster is certain. City pages break each hazard down individually.

Cambodia disaster exposure by type

flooding: 4.0/5 — high — plan, insure and check building codes for it.
extreme heat: 3.0/5 — moderate — worth verifying for your specific neighbourhood.
storms (hurricane/cyclone): 1.4/5 — negligible in our model.
drought: 1.2/5 — negligible in our model.
earthquake: 1.0/5 — negligible in our model.
wildfire: 1.0/5 — negligible in our model.
extreme cold / winter: 1.0/5 — negligible in our model.
tsunami: 1.0/5 — negligible in our model.

For relocators, the practical takeaway is to match the hazard profile to your housing choice: where flood or storm tiers are elevated, favour higher ground and modern drainage; where the earthquake tier is high, prioritise post-code seismic construction; and budget for the insurance lines that the leading hazards in Cambodia will drive. The safest single city in our Cambodia sample, Kampong Chhnang (safety 68/100), is the natural starting point if low disaster exposure is your top filter.

Method & sources: earthquake — USGS (real); flood/storm/wildfire/heat/drought/cold/tsunami — modelled from Köppen zone, elevation and cyclone-basin geography; averaged across Cambodia's cities. Indicative — verify locally before relocating.

FAQ

Is Cambodia safe from natural disasters?

Across 8 cities in Cambodia, the highest average exposure is flooding (4.0/5). Safest city: Kampong Chhnang (safety 68/100).

What natural disasters affect Cambodia?

By modelled average tier: flooding 4.0/5; extreme heat 3.0/5; storms (hurricane/cyclone) 1.4/5; drought 1.2/5; earthquake 1.0/5; wildfire 1.0/5; extreme cold / winter 1.0/5; tsunami 1.0/5.

Which city in Cambodia is safest from natural disasters?

Kampong Chhnang, with the lowest combined hazard exposure in our data.

All cities in Cambodia → Best places to retire in Cambodia →