Background
Inland water transport is part of Cambodia’s national transport infrastructure, complementing road, rail, and seaport systems for domestic logistics and external trade access. Waterway projects in Cambodia can combine navigation, canal improvement, and water resources management functions where river and canal networks support both transport movement and hydraulic connectivity.
The Funan Techo project is designed as a river-to-sea waterway corridor linking inland waterways with coastal access through multiple provinces. Cambodia’s inland waterway system is centered on the Mekong and Bassac river networks, and infrastructure that improves navigable connections can reduce transport distance between interior locations and the coast. Large linear water infrastructure projects also require coordination among central ministries, provincial authorities, construction companies, and technical agencies.
Key Developments
On 11 April 2026, Minister of Public Works and Transport Peng Ponea attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Section 2 of the Funan Techo Integrated Water Resources Management Project in Takeo province. The ceremony was presided over by Prime Minister Hun Manet and attended by Chinese Ambassador Wang Wenbin, members of the National Assembly, Senate, government officials, relevant ministries and institutions, provincial administrations, construction companies, and technical officials.
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Section 2 has a length of 151.6 kilometers and runs from Prek Pou in Kandal province to the sea in Kep province. The ministry described the broader project as a water transport corridor with a total length of nearly 180 kilometers, beginning at Prek Takeo on the Mekong River, passing through Prek Pou on the Bassac River, entering Prek Ta Hing on the Bassac system, and continuing to the sea in Kep province.
The route crosses four provinces: Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, and Kep. The ministry stated that the canal project is being built largely along existing natural waterways and ancient waterways, with about 135 kilometers of existing waterway, about 38 kilometers to be straightened to reduce curvature, and about 7 kilometers of newly excavated waterway to shorten the connection to the sea.
Implications
The start of construction on Section 2 indicates continued implementation of a major public waterway infrastructure corridor under Cambodia’s transport and water management agenda. For logistics, transport, and infrastructure stakeholders, the project is relevant because it is intended to improve inland-to-coastal water connectivity across multiple provinces.
The project also has long-term significance for transport planning because it links river transport infrastructure with maritime access rather than focusing on a single provincial canal segment. Its multi-province route and mixed use of existing and newly adjusted waterways make it relevant for future reference on Cambodia’s inland waterway development and intermodal transport infrastructure.
Official Source
Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT), Facebook post published on 11 April 2026.
