On the afternoon of December 17, 2024, His Excellency Tho Jetha, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology, welcomed Ms. Tania Meyer, Country Manager for the World Bank (WB) in Cambodia, and her delegation during a courtesy call at the Ministry’s office. The meeting focused on discussing development priorities, addressing challenges, and reinforcing collaboration on water resources and meteorology projects in Cambodia.
H.E. Tho Jetha expressed his gratitude for the World Bank’s significant support for Cambodia’s development, particularly through the Cambodia Water Security Improvement Project (CaWSIP) and the Cambodia Agricultural Sector Diversification Project (CASDP). He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the World Bank to advance the nation’s water resource and meteorology sectors.
The Minister highlighted that under the Royal Government’s 7th National Assembly, water has been designated as one of the five key priority sectors alongside people, roads, electricity, and technology. He emphasized the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to enhance water security and mitigate the impacts of climate change by building infrastructure and fostering development within the water and meteorology sectors.
Despite these efforts, H.E. Tho Jetha acknowledged that the sector continues to face significant challenges, including:
- Limited water resource management infrastructure.
- Insufficient institutional capacity at national and sub-national levels.
- Impacts of natural disasters such as floods and droughts.
- Vulnerabilities of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River basins to climate change.
To address these challenges, the Minister called on the World Bank to continue its support through four key initiatives:
- Implementing the Water Resources and Irrigation Sector Development Policy (DPO).
- Tackling challenges in the Tonle Sap and Mekong River basins via the Water Security and Resilience Strategy (PASA).
- Advancing the Cambodia Water Security Improvement Project (CaWSIP).
- Providing technical assistance and capacity building for civil servants within the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology.
Ms. Tania Meyer commended the Ministry’s dedication and the longstanding cooperation with the World Bank. She reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to fostering long-term partnerships with the Cambodian government. Ms. Meyer emphasized the importance of effective water resource management, irrigation systems, and regional water supply systems in promoting economic growth and enhancing resilience to climate change.
This meeting reaffirmed the shared vision of the Royal Government of Cambodia and the World Bank to overcome challenges and implement sustainable solutions for water resource and meteorology development.
Source: AKP
