AKP Phnom Penh, August 9, 2026 --

Cambodia has launched a long-term river basin planning initiative that will help guide future water resources management and investment across the Tonle Sap River Basin Group, marking an important step towards strengthening water security, climate resilience and sustainable development.

The initiative, led by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM) and supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), was launched during the Inception Workshop for the Cambodia Resilient River Basin Masterplan (CRRBM) Phase 1 held on Aug. 7.

As Cambodia’s economy continues to grow and demands on water resources become increasingly complex, long-term river basin planning will play an increasingly important role in Cambodia’s sustainable development.

The project will strengthen planning for water allocation, flood and drought management, climate resilience and future water-related investments in one of Cambodia’s most important river basin systems.

Over the next 12 months, the project will prepare River Basin Management and Investment Plans for the 11 tributary sub-basins of the Tonle Sap River Basin Group while strengthening Cambodia’s capacity for river basin planning and management.

This first phase is part of a broader national initiative that will eventually be expanded to Cambodia’s five river basin groups.

Opening the workshop, H.E. Thor Chetha, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology, said Cambodia’s changing development needs require a stronger foundation for water resources planning.

“These realities require good planning, sound information and informed decisions. River basin planning gives us a stronger foundation for planning future investments and managing Cambodia's water resources sustainably,” said H.E. Thor Chetha.

The Minister also emphasised that the success of the initiative would depend on close cooperation among government institutions, provincial authorities, development partners, researchers, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities throughout the planning process.

Ms. Yasmin Siddiqi, ADB Country Director for Cambodia, said that reliable and sustainably managed water resources are critical to Cambodia’s ambition of achieving upper middle-income status, boosting agricultural productivity, and sustaining economic growth.

“The Cambodia Resilient River Basin Masterplan will help turn long-term water management goals into practical, investment-ready solutions for the Tonle Sap River Basin Group, one of the country’s most vital natural and economic assets,” she added.

She also reaffirmed ADB’s commitment to supporting MOWRAM in advancing river basin planning and developing practical, investment-ready solutions for Cambodia's water sector.

The inception workshop brought together around 160 representatives from national and provincial government institutions, development partners, the diplomatic corps, universities and research institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector and community organisations to discuss the project’s approach, implementation and next steps.

During the workshop, participants reviewed the proposed project methodology and work programme before taking part in technical breakout discussions covering hydrology and modelling, irrigation and engineering, environmental and aquatic ecosystems, and decision-support tools.

The comments and recommendations from the workshop will be reflected in the final Inception Report before the consulting team moves into detailed technical studies and stakeholder consultations throughout the eleven tributary sub-basins.

The next phase of the project will lead to the preparation of River Basin Management and Investment Plans that will provide a long-term framework for water resources management and future investment within the Tonle Sap River Basin Group, covering nine provinces.

By Chea Vannak