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2011

EXTENSION OF WATER SUPPLY, CAPACITY BUILDING AND

MONITORING ACHIEVEMENTS TOWARD REACHING CMDGs

IN KAMPONG THOM TOWN, CAMBODIA

Output under the Cooperation Agreement between

UN-HABITAT

and

Kampong Thom Water Supply Utility

Summary Report Output A1

Stakeholder's Inception Workshop

for Kampong Thom Town

K A M P O N G T H O M

W A T E R S U P P L Y

U T I L I T Y

C A M B O D I A

Mekong Regional Water and Sanitation Program

MEK-WATSAN

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Currently the population of Mekong Basin is around 250 million in which four of six countries

have the economic growth approximately 5% since 1980s. The population growth rate is in

between 4%-5% per annum. Poor people in Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam have migrated to urban.

Currently poor households in urban consist of about 9%-26% of urban population. Most of those

poor people live in remote areas or slum areas which are not hygiene (no sewerage system) do

not have water supply system, sanitation facilities and other social services. With the highgrowth rate and lack of proper planning of relevant authorities like potable water supply,

sanitation infrastructures, and other facilities has affected their livelihood and health. In general,

those poor people have to pay more for water than medium or rich people and the results they are

getting poorer and poorer.

After a long period of civil war, Cambodia now is developing gradually. The Royal Government

of Cambodia has set out Cambodian millennium development goals which are in line with the

world MDGs; and water supply and sanitation are mentioned in the CMDGs. They are clearly

mentioned that at least 80% of urban population will have water supply and 74% will have

sanitation facilities by year 2015. To achieve these goals, the RGC has developed national

policies related water supply and a number of measures since 2004. For example, there were a

number of reforms in water supply sector like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap water supplyauthorities were transferred to autonomous authorities.

Even then water supply and sanitation in Cambodia are still big issues which need large amount

of investment from the RGC and it is clear that RGC does not have enough budgets to invest in

this sector and need support from outsiders, and most of the loans were allocated in

infrastructure development like roads, bridges, schools, hospital, etc. So it needs supports from

NGOs, IO or UN organizations.

Based on the above mentioned CMDG, UNHABITAT with the cooperation from MIME,

especially Potable Water Department have implemented water supply extension and sanitation

project in four provincial towns: Kampong Thom, Pursat, Kampong Cham and Svay Rieng.

This project under the MEK-WATSAN programme has been designed to demonstrate acommunity based approach which will increase the access by the poor to improve, affordable

and sustainable water supply. This project builds on the efforts of the government and the

investment already made, and will contribute to strengthening the capacities of MIME in

monitoring progress towards achieving the MDGs for water and sanitation as well as the

capacities of the Kampong Thom Water Supply Utility and district authorities in improving

water and sanitation services through participatory and innovative approaches by 2011, 8,250

people -out of wich 25 percent are poor-will benefit from the expansion of water supply

infrastructure. With the project completed successfully, the coverage of water will rise to 34

percent.

MIME has conducted workshops to introduce MEK-WATSAN program to those targeted four

towns. The stakeholder workshop was help to disseminate the main objectives and scope of the

project, and to coordinate main activities at the town level. In coordination with local authorities,

commune council and community representatives, Kampong Thom Water Supply Utility led a

participatory assessment of beneficiaries to identify the poor householders in expansion areas as

well as to coordinate implementation arrangements. This activity included the definition of a set

of criteria to identify poor households to inform pro-poor water cost-sharing arrangements such

as revolving funds for household connection fees. The assessment of beneficiaries also provided

preliminary data for water indicators database and support the development of a poverty map.

The engagement with the community provided an opportunity to build wide support for the

project including its objectives and implementation methodology.

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The overall objective of MEK-WATSAN program was to support the Royal Government of

Cambodia to attain its water and sanitation related MDGs agreed in 2000.

The main objective of this project is to provide sustainable water supply services and improve

environmental conditions of the residents of Kampong Thom Town particularly for the poor. The

specific objectives of the project are:

- Increase access to improved water supply on a sustainable and affordable basis for 8,250residents in Kampong Thom Town by 2011;

- Develop and establish participatory framework for implementation that includes anassessment of beneficiaries and poor householders;

- Develop and establish community based financing mechanism, such as revolving fundsto assist poor householders with the connection fees;

- Strengthen the capacities of the Kampong Thom Water Supply Utility on community-based project management, operational management and a more sustainable use of water

resources based on the principles of HVWSHE principles and Water Demand and

Conservation Management (WDCM) among other relevant concepts; and

- Develop a baseline database on water and environmental sanitation indicators andgenerating and information base for local action and monitoring of the MDGs in

secondary towns, particularly in Kampong Thom Town.

The purpose of stakeholder inception workshop was to introduce the MEK-WATSAN program,

discus about the targeted beneficiaries, seek for support and cooperation and recommendation

from all relevant stakeholders. Besides, the workshop also introduced about the MDGs and

CMDGs.

The stakeholder inception workshop had invited relevant government institutions and NGOs to

attend the workshop. There are 4 government institutions i.e. MIME, Kampong Thom Water

Supply Utility, Provincial Department of Industry, Mines and Energy, and all levels of local

authorities from province to village including communities; and a NGO (Center for

Development). There were total 27 participants.

The stakeholder inception workshop was held in Kampong Thom Town on 25 June 2010. The

workshop was for half day and started to register at 7:30 am. The workshop starts with the

introduction of workshop objectives by Mr. Sorn Savnin, project director, from 8:00-8:15,

followed by welcome speech of UNHABITAT's representative from 8:15-8:30, and opening

speech of H.E. Heng Sok Kong from 8:30-50. From 8:50-9:10 was the presentation of Mr. Din

So Me Thearith on the project background, project objectives and the expected outputs of the

project. From 9:10-9:30 coffee break. From 9:30-10:30 was presentation of Mr. Sorn Savnin and

from 10:30-11:00 was the presentation of Mr. Leang Pao Thong, Director of Kampong Thom

Water Supply Utility on Kampong Thom's present Water Supply Utility operation. From 11:00-

11:20 was the impression of Mr. Nhek Kunthea, Director of Provincial Department of Industry,

Mines and Energy.

Three presentations were made during the stakeholder inception workshop where:- First presentation was presented by Mr. Din So Me Thearith, Program Manager of

UNHABITAT in Cambodia on the background of program, program objectives and

the expected outputs of the program.

- Second presentation was presented by Mr. Sorn Savnin, MEK-WATSAN program

director, on the MIME's mandates related to potable water supply, the cooperation

with all donors or NGOs on potable water supply development, the advantages of

potable water usage, the policies and strategies of Royal Government of Cambodia in

potable water supply sector, MDG and CMDG related to potable water supply, the

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cooperation with UNHABITAT, the implementation of MEK-WATSAN in Kampong

Thom Province and suggestions.

- Third presentation illustrates about the present operation of Kampong Thom Water

Supply Utility.

In the closing remark, Mr. Nhek Kunthea, Director of Provincial Department of Industry, Mines

and Energy, had expressed his impression that MIME and UNHABITAT are going to implement

the MEK-WATSAN program in Kampong Thom Town. This program will benefit the poor in

this town and the project will share with the Royal Government of Cambodia in povertyreduction. He also expressed his commitment in cooperating with all relevant stakeholders to

implement the MEK-WATSAN program successfully in Kampong Thom Town.

After the impression of Mr. Nhek Kunthea, H.E. Heng Sok Kong has summarized the whole

workshop's presentations and all suggestions from the participants. He appreciated for the good

cooperation from all relevant stakeholders and their active discussion and recommendations. The

workshop was held smoothly and provided fruitful results.

H.E. Heng Sok Kong also proposed to have good cooperation from all relevant stakeholders in

implementing the project in Kampong Thom Town in the future and have setup next step work

plans and assigned teams for carrying out the baseline survey and poverty mapping.

All participants were aware that MEK-WATSAN program will be implemented in Kampong

Thom Town to extend water supply to those area where do not have water supply yet and this

program will benefit poor households to improve their health and also their livelihood.

All relevant institutions have committed to cooperate with this program to extend the water

supply service. The local authorities especially commune/sangkat, village chiefs and

communities were happy to join implementing the program.