Volume 3
Chapter
2
Global Megatrends | How Cambodia Should Respond
In this chapter of Cambodia 2040, OU Virak aims to provide an overview of the main global megatrends confronting Cambodia – as well as the broader Mekong, Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific regions – and to outline how it should respond. With the 2020s now underway, and with some analysts starting to cast a wary eye towards 2030, he is looking further down the track to the year 2040, with the goal of establishing a positive vision for Cambodia to aspire to for the middle part of this century. He examines key trends relating to demographics; migrant labor; urbanization; climate, energy and resources; economy, industry, technology and data; trade; terrorism and security; and populism and nationalism.
About the Author
OU Virak
OU Virak is the founder and president of Future Forum. He is one of Cambodia’s most prominent and principled political analysts and human rights activists, with proven expertise in strengthening grassroots movements, conducting political economy analyses, spearheading organizational development and directing risk assessments. Prior to founding Future Forum in late 2015, Virak led the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, one of Cambodia’s premier human rights organizations, where he turned the organization around and rebuilt it from the ground up after significant losses in both staff and funding. He has led successful campaigns to free human rights activists and tackled some of the most controversial issues in Cambodia: rule of law, freedom of expression, racism, LGBT rights, forced evictions and more. He holds a MA in Economics from California State University of San Jose.