Background
The CMDA initiative aims to improve governance and sustainable use of transboundary groundwater resources linking Cambodia and Vietnam in the Mekong Basin. The CMDA project seeks to strengthen transboundary groundwater resource management between Cambodia and Vietnam in the Mekong Basin.
Groundwater in the Mekong Basin supplies drinking water, agricultural irrigation, and supports wetlands, floodplains and coastal ecosystems. The targeted aquifer system under the CMDA project covers tens of thousands of square kilometres and functions as a water source for domestic use, agriculture and multiple ecosystem services.
Key Developments
On 26 June 2026 Secretary of State Dr. Hean Vannhan, representing the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), received a UNESCO delegation to discuss the CMDA transboundary groundwater sustainability project. The UNESCO team included a science officer and a groundwater specialist from the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), together with national fisheries and water advisers.
Institutional Role
MAFF signalled a commitment to coordinate closely with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, and development partners to strengthen data-sharing, technical capacity and knowledge exchange for groundwater management. The ministry emphasised the role of coordinated inter-ministerial cooperation to translate transboundary analysis into concrete technical and operational measures.
Operational Implications
Planned cooperation under CMDA focuses on improving datasets, exchanging technical expertise, and piloting measures that support sustainable groundwater use for agriculture and rural livelihoods. Strengthening monitoring, sharing hydrogeological information and building local technical skills are practical steps identified to align resource management with longer-term water security and rural development objectives.
