Background
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM) is the national agency responsible for water resource management and coordinates river basin planning processes in Cambodia through technical studies and multi-stakeholder engagement.
The Cambodia Resilient River Basin Master Plan Project (CRRBM) Phase 1 will assess water security and river basin management for 11 major tributaries within the Tonle Sap Basin. The project is implemented with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank under the Resilient River Basins Initiative.
Key Developments
On 7 August 2026, H.E. Thor Chetha, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology, presided over the opening of a national workshop to launch CRRBM Phase 1 at the Sun & Moon Riverside Hotel in Phnom Penh. The event included participation by Ms. Yasmin Siddiqi, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank in Cambodia, and convened government officials and sector stakeholders to outline the Phase 1 work programme.
Institutional Role
MOWRAM is leading the national coordination for the master plan process and convened the workshop to engage line agencies, development partners and basin stakeholders. The Asian Development Bank is providing technical assistance under its Resilient River Basins Initiative to support analytical work, risk assessment and capacity-strengthening for basin-level planning.
Operational Implications
Phase 1 concentrates on 11 main tributaries of the Tonle Sap Basin and will carry out long-term assessments of current and future water demands, environmental conditions and climate-related risks. Workstreams described at the workshop include risk identification for climate change and natural hazards, the preparation of practicable programs and solutions, and the generation of evidence to inform future policy, institutional strengthening and infrastructure investment decisions at the basin scale.
Source: MOWRAM Facebook post (7 August 2026) — https://www.facebook.com/mowramcambodia/posts/pfbid036Y1xdBEAGg5gdC9EPYYHaHRvhJt6WtrMDpLWFX4QvVaKALFFePYwsRC3LHNkZwcvl
