Background
Integrated water resources management is a policy approach that links irrigation, water security, climate resilience, and agricultural water use within a coordinated planning framework. In Cambodia, irrigation infrastructure supports agricultural production by storing, diverting, and distributing water across wet and dry seasons. Water resource projects also provide a governance mechanism for aligning technical studies, financing, and provincial infrastructure priorities.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology is the central government institution responsible for Cambodia’s water resources and meteorological administration. Integrated water resources management projects typically require coordination between national ministries, development finance institutions, provincial authorities, and project management units. For Cambodia, externally financed water infrastructure programs are used to modernize irrigation systems, improve water security, and support adaptation to climate-related risks.
The Integrated Water Resources Management project is part of the five-year Water Resources Sector Development Strategic Plan for 2024–2028 under the seventh-mandate Royal Government. According to MOWRAM, the project has a seven-year implementation period from 2025 to 2031 and is intended to support sustainable and inclusive development of the water resources sector in Pursat and Battambang provinces.
Key Developments
On 4 May 2026, Van Chantho, Secretary of State and Director of the Project Management Unit, chaired the opening of the second implementation support mission for the Integrated Water Resources Management project at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology. She led the meeting on behalf of Minister Thor Chetha.
MOWRAM stated that the meeting was intended to review work progress and implementation challenges over more than one year since financing approval by the Asian Development Bank in December 2024. The ministry identified the project as being supported through technical and financial assistance from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Asian Development Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Institutional Role
The implementation support mission involves working teams from ADB and AIIB and is scheduled to run for 13 days from 4 May to 16 May 2026. During the mission, the teams are expected to inspect subproject locations in Pursat, Battambang, and Pailin to review the progress of studies for those subprojects.
The Project Management Unit functions as the operational structure for coordinating implementation review, field inspection, and engagement with financing partners. MOWRAM’s role in the process connects sector planning with project-level delivery for irrigation and water resource infrastructure.
Operational Implications
The mission provides a formal checkpoint for assessing implementation progress, identifying challenges, and reviewing the status of subproject studies before later project activities proceed. For water infrastructure planning, such reviews help align engineering preparation, financing requirements, and provincial implementation conditions.
MOWRAM linked the project to the improvement of water security, irrigation infrastructure efficiency, climate change response, and agricultural modernization. The stated project framework places the IWRM program within Cambodia’s longer-term water resources planning cycle rather than treating it as a standalone infrastructure activity.
