Ⅰ Project Summary

The objective of the project is to coordinate the development, utilization and protection of water resources in Cambodia, and formulate planning layout. The main contents are: by analyzing the status quo and main problems of the development, utilization and protection of water resources in Cambodia, studying the demand for water resources in economic and social development, and formulating overall plans including irrigation, water supply, flood control, hydropower, water resources protection, etc. In this project, two reports have been completed, i.e. "Evaluation Report on Cambodian Water Resources and Its Development and Utilization" and "Planning Outline of Master Plan on Water Resources in Cambodia". By regulating water-related behaviors, the water problems are solved, water security is guaranteed, thus supporting the "Rectangular Strategy" as well as the sustainable economic and social development of Cambodia. 

Ⅱ Objectives 

The "Planning Outline of Master Plan on Water Resources in Cambodia" project is one of the tasks in the MOU witnessed by President Xi Jinping and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in October 2016. The goal of the project is to coordinate the development, utilization and protection of water resources in Cambodia, and formulate plans for development, regulation and protection of irrigation, water supply, flood control, hydropower , and water ecological environment protection. 

Ⅲ main activities 

By analyzing the status quo of the development, utilization and protection of water resources and main existing problems in Cambodia, to study the demand for water resources in the economic and social development of Cambodia, to coordinate the development, utilization and protection of water resources in Cambodia, and to formulate overall planning layout including irrigation, water supply, flood control, hydropower, water resources protection, etc. 

Ⅳ Expected Outcomes/Achieved Results and Prospects 

The project team collected a large number of materials in Khmer and English through comprehensive surveys, network searching and other channels, and focused on the translation, analysis and sorting of the materials. The basic data covering Cambodian social economy, laws and regulations, hydrometeorology, topography and geology, water resources utilization, water resources protection, etc. were systematically sorted out, and the "Evaluation Report on Water Resources and its Development and Utilization in Cambodia" was completed. 

Fig 1. Cover of "Evaluation Report on Water Resources and its Development and Utilization in Cambodia" 

The "Planning Outline of Master Plan on Water Resources in Cambodia" combines China's water governance thinking in new era with the Cambodian development stages, characteristics and patterns, and coordinates the development, utilization and protection of water resources in Cambodia. The planning outline formulates overall layout on the aspects of irrigation, water supply, flood control, hydropower, and water resources protection, regulates water related behavior, and guarantees sustainable economic and social development; through the construction of a series of water conservancy infrastructure, it focuses on solving the frequent drought and flood disasters in the Tonle Sap Lake region and the Mekong Delta region, ensuring water security and supporting Cambodia’s national “Rectangular Strategy”. 

During the planning process, the project team went to Cambodia to solicit the opinions of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology in Cambodia and relevant water-related ministries and institutions, and continuously revised and improved the planning report based on the opinions of all stakeholders. The content of the report was generally received by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology in Cambodia. In April 2018, under the witness of LU Guihua, Vice Minister of CWRC and LIM Kean Hor, Minister of MOWRAM, the English version of the "Planning Outline" was submitted to the MOWRAM. The products include the main report, attached tables and maps. 

Fig 2. Signing ceremony for the handover of“Planning Outline of Master Plan on Water Resources in Cambodia” 

Fig 3. The covers of the Chinese and English versions of the “Planning Outline of Master Plan on Water Resources in Cambodia” 

Through the implementation of the “Planning Outline” Project, experiences in water governance are shared by the two countries, which will help improve the development, utilization and governance of water resources in Cambodia, and promote the development of water resources in the Mekong River Basin. 

V project contact  

Name: ZHAO Shuchen 

Organization: Changjiang Institute of Planning, Survey, Design and Research of Changjiang Water Resources Commission, MWR of China 

Title: Engineer 

Telephone: +86 18502778090 

Email: zhaoshuchen@cjwsjy.com.cn