Phnom Penh, Dec 3
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved two projects with $173 million in loan and grant to accelerate climate-adaptive water resources management in Cambodia, the bank said in a press release on Tuesday.
The first is an $88 million Integrated Water Resources Management Project targeting river basins in Battambang and Pursat provinces in the Tonle Sap basin, Xinhua news agency reported.
The second is $85 million 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 across four irrigation systems in Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom and Takeo provinces.
"ADB is committed to supporting Cambodia in building resilience against climate challenges and ensuring sustainable water management. These two projects will modernise critical irrigation and flood management systems in regions facing severe drought and flood risks, and make investments to protect communities and ecosystems alike," said ADB Country Director for Cambodia Jyotsana Varma.
"These projects will empower farmers with climate-smart irrigation practices to secure their livelihoods, enhance food production, and strengthen food security," she added.
Agriculture and water resources are identified as the sectors most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, the press release said.
Frequent floods during the wet season affect 4 million people, or nearly one-fourth of the population, with annual losses estimated at $250 million, which is over 1 per cent of the country's gross domestic product, it added.