Cambodia's floating schools hit by rising fuel costs

Cambodia's floating schools hit by rising fuel costs September 9, 2026Every morning, 12-year-old Soksan Set faces a journey most children his age never have to think about. Outside his home, there is no road, only water. Soksan lives in Prek Toal, a floating community on Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lakewhere boats are the main means of transport. A Grade 4 student at the local primary school, he travels several kilometers on water to attend class and sometimes helps younger children along the way. But increasingly, the biggest obstacle between Soksan and his classroom is not distance. It is fuel. His family, like many others in the commune, depends on fishing for their livelihood. When fuel prices rise, they are forced to make difficult choices. "When gasoline prices go up, we don't have enough money to take our children to school regularly," said Soksan's father, 41-year-old Set Soeum. "We don't catch enough fish, and we need around three liters of gasoline a day to travel long distances for fishing. Because of this, Soksan often has to miss school." For families living on the water, rising fuel costs can quickly become a barrier to education. Why rising fuel costs hit Cambodia's poor the hardest Cambodia relies heavily on imported fuel, leaving households exposed to global price shocks and regional supply disruptions. The 2026 Iran war has driven up energy costs, making transport to remote communities more expensive. Around Tonle Sap, this has hit students and their families. Gasoline prices rose 45% and diesel prices more than 70% in March, the largest single-month increase since 2008, according to the World Bank. Gasoline currently costs 5,700 riel ($1.41) per liter, up 26.7% from 4,500 riel ($1.11) a year ago, according to Global Petrol Prices. Although Cambodia does not depend directly on the Strait of Hormuz for most of its fuel imports, it is exposed to higher global oil prices and supply disruptions affecting regional suppliers. Cambodia imports all of its petroleum products and has no domestic refining capacity. For Soksan's family, the pressure is felt both on the fishing boat and the school boat. Some days, they borrow money to buy gasoline. Other days, they cut back on food, clothing or school supplies. "Five students collect money to buy gasoline, sometimes just one liter at a time," Soksan said. When they cannot afford even that, they row themselves. "We row the boat ourselves. It can take up to an hour, but we still try to go to school," he noted. On the Tonle Sap, 12-year-old Siyien Ly walks more than 30 minutes to school during the dry season. When flooding makes the roads impassable, she relies on an aid-supported school boat. Some of her classmates have stopped attending because their families cannot afford the cost of transport. "Even though fuel prices are rising, we still keep trying to come to school because education is important for our future," Siyien said. Siyien's family of six has four children in school. Her mother, Kunthea Chin, now sells sugarcane juice after Siyien's father developed serious hearing problems following a water-related accident. Kunthea said that her daily income has fallen from about 80,000 riel ($20) to around 40,000 riel, while the cost of supplies has risen. The family spends around 600,000 riel ($150) a month on fuel, which they need for both the children's transport and her business. Taking risks to reach the classroom Families also try to reduce costs by traveling together and sharing fuel expenses. Some have returned to traditional rowing boats. But saving money can come at the cost of safety. When several children share a small boat, it can become crowded. During storms and heavy rain, parents worry about their children's safety on the water. "My mother worries when too many students ride together," Siyien said. Remote schools also depend on boats to transport teachers, textbooks, classroom materials, food and maintenance supplies. Higher fuel prices can therefore increase the cost of delivering education itself. "For children living in floating and remote communities, access to education depends not only on having a school, but also on being able to reach it," said Samphors Vorn, country director of Action Education in Cambodia. "When fuel prices rise, the cost of that journey rises with them. For families already living with very limited incomes, this can turn transportation into a barrier to attendance and, ultimately, to a child's right to education." The Cambodian government has introduced measures to cushion consumers from international fuel-price increases, including fuel discounts, tax reductions and zero customs duties on fuel imports. But subsidies at the pump cannot fully shield families whose incomes remain low and unpredictable. Climate and economic shocks deepen education woes Last year, DW reported from the region on how climate change was disrupting children's education. Rising and falling water levels, extreme weather and the dangers of traveling by boat were making it harder for children in floating communities to reach school. The challenges have since deepened. Today, 14-year-old Nary is no longer in the classroom. She has been unable to return because of persistent headaches following health complications linked to suspected long-term meningitis. Her younger sister, 11-year-old Naren, continues to attend Grade 2. She relies on a school boat and pays around 500 riel ($0.12) for the return journey. For their family, even small costs matter. Their father, Tit Sarin, earns around 30,000 riel ($7.50) a day from traditional fishing. But traveling farther across the lake to find fish can require about six liters of fuel, costing roughly $6.60. "When we cannot afford fuel, we have to find other work," he said. The family then works as day laborers, picking chilies for as little as 1,000 riel ($0.25) per kilogram. For families like Nary's, climate change and rising fuel costs are now a double burden. Nary hopes to return to learning. Her father is saving to buy a boat dedicated to shuttling his children to school and back home. Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru