Phnom Penh (VNA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on December 3 announced that it has approved two projects with 173 million USD in loans and grants to accelerate climate-adaptive water resources management in Cambodia.
The first is an 88-million-dollar integrated water resources management project targeting river basins in Battambang and Pursat provinces in the Tonle Sap basin.
The second is an 85-million-dollar additional financing for the ongoing irrigated agriculture improvement project to help the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology enhance water delivery efficiency and climate resilience of four irrigation systems in Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom and Takeo provinces.
Jyotsana Varma, ADB Country Director for Cambodia, affirmed the bank's commitment to supporting Cambodia in building resilience against climate challenges and ensuring sustainable water management. She highlighted that the two projects will modernise critical flood management and irrigation systems in regions vulnerable to severe drought and flood risks, while investing in measures to protect communities and ecosystems.
Varma emphasised that these projects will empower farmers by implementing climate-smart irrigation solutions to secure livelihoods, boost agricultural production, and strengthen food security.
Agriculture and water resources in Cambodia are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Frequent flooding during the rainy season affects around 4 million people, equivalent to 25% of the population, causing annual damages estimated at 250 million USD, or nearly 1% of Cambodia's GDP./.
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