A woman washes her hands in clean water. The Development Bank (ADB) has approved almost $100 million in funding for clean water projects. Post Staff
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved almost $100 million in funding for water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in nine provinces across the Kingdom.
The $93.6 million in loans and grants are expected to improve and expand access to climate-resilient and inclusive WASH facilities in 400 villages of 50 communes, reaching around 88,000 households.
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“The Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Improvement Sector Development Program will support government efforts to provide universal access to safely managed water supply services and basic hygiene facilities in rural areas and improve access to safely managed sanitation facilities while also addressing affordability,” said a September 2 ADB press release.
The programme aims to enhance private sector participation, while ensuring climate resilience, through effective planning, design, and implementation. It will also strengthen coordination among stakeholders and decentralise functions to ensure effective service delivery.
“The program supports ‘WASH for all’ by prioritising rural populations in remote areas. It proposes reforms to strengthen governance in the management of community-managed WASH facilities and scale up government planning for sustainability and climate resilience,” said ADB country director for Cambodia Jyotsana Varma.
According to the release, it includes a $3 million grant financed by the Japan Fund for a Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific to help finance the expansion of WASH facilities in the provinces where poor rural residents face the greatest challenges in accessing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. There will be a focus on supporting Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Speu, Kampot, Kratie, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear and Stung Treng provinces.
“A $600,000 technical assistance financed by the Sanitation Financing Partnership Trust Fund under the Water Financing Partnership Facility will strengthen government capacity to enact key sector reforms under the program,” it added.
The ADB explained that in 2022, access to safely managed water supply stood at 29 per cent across the Kingdom, and just 20 per cent in rural areas, while access to safely managed sanitation was 37 per cent nationally and 34 per cent rurally. Open defecation was practiced by about two million rural residents, which exposes land and water resources to contamination and contributes to the spread of waterborne infections.
“ADB has had a long-standing partnership in supporting Cambodia's water supply, sanitation, and hygiene sector both at the national and sub-national levels since 2005. Over one million people, particularly the residents of the provinces along the Tonle Sap Lake, have already benefited from ADB-supported WASH services,” said the release.
“ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region,” it added.
