The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $93.6 million to enhance water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Cambodia’s rural areas and encourage private sector participation on Monday.
However, private suppliers reported that they “have never received any support” and “used their own money to invest” thus far.
The ADB loan and grants aim to improve and expand climate resilience and inclusive rural WASH facilities for 88,000 households in 400 villages, who live in 50 communes in nine provinces. They comprise Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Speu, Kampot, Kratie, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear and Stung Treng.
The rural WASH Improvement Sector Development Program will support the government to provide equal access to safely managed water supply services and basic hygiene facilities as well as improve access to safely managed sanitation facilities. It will also address affordability.
The program seeks to enhance private sector participation in the delivery of water supply services. It also looks to ensure climate resilience of WASH facilities through greater integration of climate change considerations into the planning, design and implementation.
“[It] supports ‘WASH for all’ by prioritizing rural populations in remote areas, [offers] reforms to strengthen governance in the management of community-managed WASH facilities and scale up government planning for sustainability and climate resilience,” said Jyotsana Varma, ADB country director for Cambodia.
Three projects to meet the target
The ADB fund also includes a $3 million grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific to expand WASH facilities in provinces where poor rural residents face the “greatest challenges” in accessing safe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
Additionally, $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.
Tan Sokchea, director-general of the General Department of Water under the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI), declined to comment as he said the project was handled by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Ministry of Rural Development undersecretary of state and spokesperson Pit Karuna confirmed with CamboJA News that they will support the three projects.
The first project will enhance safe rural water supply by installing new water wells, repairing old ones, distributing rainwater filter jars, constructing small-scale water distribution systems, and rehabilitating community ponds with water filtration systems.
In the second project, the ministry will improve climate-resilient rural sanitation services by providing family and public toilets, educating communities and schools about good hygiene practices, and promoting safe waste management.
The third project will see the strengthening of institutional capacity of human resources and legal framework related to water supply and sanitation work in climate-resilient rural areas.
“The ministry has a goal of achieving the rate of rural water and sanitation coverage by 2030. So far, the rate in rural areas has reached about 90%. With this momentum, we estimate achieving the target ahead of schedule,” Karuna said.
‘Pay from our own pocket’
Meanwhile, Lim Minh, executive director of Cambodian Water Supply Association, told CamboJA News that he has yet to look at the details of the approved loans and grants, which are aimed at enhancing and expanding the safe water supply.
In the past, private water suppliers “did not receive any support” as most ADB funds were directed at the government, with limited involvement from the private sector.
However, Minh was enthusiastic about the ADB funding to support water supply and sanitation projects in rural areas of Cambodia.
“For us, we really welcome [this] because in the field of water supply in Cambodia, the private sector plays a crucial role in providing water supply to the people,” he said. “With ADB’s support, I believe this will greatly improve water supply.”
Siev Hourt, owner of a private water supply company since 2008 in Mesar Chrey commune, Stung Trang district in Kampong Cham province, and Kandal province, told CamboJA News that he was pleased with the funds, as well as increased private sector participation in the supply of clean water.
He noted that the private sector has faced many challenges, particularly financial ones.
“I think it is good for the private water sector because it’s very difficult to invest in clean water owing to the need to rely on personal funds and bank loans which often come with high interest rates. So, if ADB offers support, it’s good,” he said, adding that his entire investment in the sector was funded by him and bank loans.
One of the challenges was the damage to underground water pipes during road and drainage construction, which are “never compensated”, Hourt mentioned. Although complaints have been filed at the provincial level and with MISTI, the ministry only offered mediation.
“In the past, there was no compensation for damage to the pipes caused by road construction and drainage works. We have to repair them ourselves. We buy pipes and equipment using money from our own pocket,” he added.
Hourt also pointed out another issue, which was the lack of awareness about the importance of clean water. Many people in rural areas continue to use well water and rainwater, he said.
His station in Stung Trang district provides clean water to nearly 5,000 families, while his Kandal station serves about 5,300 families. These areas do not have access to clean water from the water supply authority, Hourt said.
Clean water for all
According to ADB, in 2022, access to safely managed water supply nationwide stood at 29% and “even lower” at 20% in rural areas. Access to safely managed sanitation in the country was 37% and 34% in rural areas. Open defecation was practiced by some two million rural residents, which exposes land and water resources to contamination, contributing to waterborne diseases.
While the ADB loan and grant covers nine provinces, the Ministry of Rural Development report for ADB on Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene published in April 2024, revealed that among the provinces proposed, 47% of Stung Treng’s population have access to surface water whereas Pailin people have two times more access, indicating that they are well-served.
In contrast, only 11% of Preah Vihear’s population has access to surface water, which means that their residents without access to drinking water services may be “worse off” than those in Stung Treng. So, while Preah Vihear people have limited access to basic drinking water services, they have better access to surface water.
The target provinces under ADB’s program continue to have limited access to clean and safe drinking water service, such as in Kampong Speu where 18% of the people have access, followed by Preah Vihear (14%) and Banteay Meanchey (13%).
The government has set a goal of providing clean water and sanitation to 100% percent of the population by 2025, according to former Prime Minister Hun Sen and other officials who have constantly talked about the target in recent years.
Cambodia’s hopes to accomplish UN Sustainable Development Goal 6’s (SDG 6) universal access to safe drinking water as well as equitable sanitation services in the country by 2030.
Stakeholders must show accountability
Lim Sai, a resident who lives by the Mekong River in Koh Sneng village, in Borey O’Svay Senchey District, Stung Treng, told CamboJA News that there was no clean water available in his area, which is located 24 km from Stung Treng town.
They rely on river water for daily use without purification or treatment to remove germs, which raises concerns about water safety.
He hoped for the project to assist the village, especially during the dry months when people face difficulties accessing clean water, and lower their spending from having to buy clean water.
“Providing clean water to the commune is a good thing as it can cut the [household] budget because it is not easy to access clean water in my area,” Sai said.
Soeun Channy, a farmer in Kach Rotes village, Kampong Preang commune, Sangke district, Battambang province, also felt that the project was good for him because his area does not have clean water. He told CamboJA News that they depend on well water for daily consumption.
He hopes that the project will enable his family and community to access clean water, as well as irrigate his agricultural farms.
ADB has a long-standing partnership in supporting Cambodia’s WASH sector at the national and subnational levels since 2005. More than one million people, particularly residents along the Tonle Sap Lake, have benefited from ADB-supported WASH services.
San Chey, president of Cambodian Social Accountability Coalition, told CamboJA News that he wants stakeholders providing clean water and sanitation services under the project to be accountable for addressing the people’s “most pressing needs”.
Chey also wants to ensure that water and sanitation issues are addressed in a way that enhances mutual accountability for sustainability and resilience. The importance of ensuring sustainable quality was by paying attention to and maintaining necessary resources.
“In my observation, there is a lot of development related to the water sector. There is an evolution of clean water and sanitation, but what we want to see is resiliency for this project,” he said.
