Cambodia Launches Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy 2026-2033

The Ministry of Rural Development of Cambodia officially launched the National Strategic Plan for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation for 2026-2033 and a consultation workshop on the draft guideline for verifying access to safe drinking water for all on July 28, 2024, at the Ministry's headquarters. This event, held over one day, was attended by approximately 160 participants from all relevant parties. Chay Rithysen, Minister of Rural Development, presided over the closing ceremony. During the workshop, Mr. Chhay Phom, Director General of Technology, presented a summary of the workshop's outcomes. He stated that the official launch of the Strategic Plan for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation 2026-2033 and the consultation workshop on the draft guideline for verifying access to safe drinking water for all proceeded with the participation of all relevant stakeholders, totaling around 160 people. The launch ceremony and workshop involved presentations, question-and-answer sessions, and discussions to share experiences and provide valuable input on the draft guideline. This collaborative process aimed to make the guideline comprehensive and realistic. Minister Chhay Rithysen expressed his gratitude to all attendees for their participation from beginning to end, highlighting their high level of commitment to rural development, especially in the areas of rural water supply and sanitation in Cambodia. The Minister stated that the Ministry of Rural Development has officially launched the Strategic Plan for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation 2026-2033, with the vision "Rural residents receive equitable, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable water supply and sanitation services." This plan is intended to serve as a legal document and roadmap for all relevant parties to successfully implement rural water supply and sanitation initiatives, based on four main principles: inclusivity, quality, sustainability, and innovation. In parallel, the Ministry of Rural Development is preparing guidelines for verifying access to safe drinking water for all. These guidelines will be used to collect, compile, analyze data, and verify rural water supply efforts in line with Cambodia's current economic and social realities. Minister Chhay Rithysen also praised and highly valued the cooperation and support, both technical and financial, from all relevant parties in the past work on rural water supply and sanitation. He noted the significant progress achieved in this sector, which clearly demonstrates contributions to the Royal Government of Cambodia's policies for economic and social development and building prosperous, comfortable, and happy rural societies. Minister Chhay Rithysen appealed to all participants of the workshop to continue strengthening cooperation under the concept of "synergy" to contribute to poverty reduction in line with the government's policies, led by Prime Minister Hun Manet, and to help achieve the vision of "Cambodia as a high-income country by 2050." By: Pich Samoeun, Source: Ministry of Rural Development © All rights reserved by National News Agency of Cambodia 2018