Cambodia and Australia Forge Partnership for Climate-Resilient Water Management

AKP Phnom Penh, July 23, 2026 -- Cambodia and Australia convened a kick-off meeting for an Interim National Water Master Plan to discuss preparation of the plan and review its scope, implementation methodology, and draft content. The meeting, held in Phnom Penh on July 22, was co-chaired by H.E. Dr. An Pich Hatha, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, and representatives of the Australian Embassy in Cambodia. Participants noted that the discussions will provide crucial input to ensure the plan’s outcomes are high-quality, comprehensive, and practically applicable. The Interim National Water Master Plan is a key activity under the recently launched Australia–Cambodia Partnership for Climate Resilience (ACP4Climate). It aims to support the Royal Government of Cambodia in strengthening water management and in preparing a water master plan that is resilient to climate change. According to H.E. Dr. An Pich Hatha, the interim plan will serve as a valuable foundation for a future national water master plan, aligned with the government’s Pentagonal Strategy - Phase 1 and Cambodia’s Vision 2050. He emphasised the importance of stakeholder participation and close cooperation to ensure the plan is evidence-based, comprehensive, and capable of serving as a strategic document for the sustainable management and development of water resources. By Lim Nary