Cambodia: Rural Roads Improvement Project II

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

The overarching objective of ADB''s country partnership strategy, 2011-2013 for Cambodia is poverty reduction, in line with the government's socioeconomic development priorities. The strategy focuses on two strategic objectives: (i) inclusive economic growth through provision of physical infrastructure, as well as interventions in other development activities such as vocational training, agriculture, and finance sector development; and (ii) social development and equity. Rehabilitating and enhancing the climate resilience of rural roads under the project will improve the access of the rural poor to markets and social services, and is a core means of promoting inclusive economic growth and reducing poverty, as well as enhancing social development and equity. The strategy includes four road projects; all are consistent with the sector assistance program evaluation recommendation to shift the focus to rehabilitating provincial and rural roads, rather than national roads.

The government's national strategy for growth for 2013 2018 (Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity, and Efficiency, Phase III) emphasizes the need to develop

physical infrastructure with three core areas (agriculture sector promotion, private sector development and employment, and capacity building and human resource development).11 The project supports this strategy, particularly as it enhances connectivity, balanced economic development, and access to social services in the nine remote rural provinces.

1. Rural Road Improvements in ten provinces

3. Rural road safety and community awareness program

4. Efficient project management

5. Enhanced Mekong River island connectivity

2. Strengthened capacity for rural road asset management

All activities have been completed in Q2 2020. No assessment has been done yet.

One health post center has been rehabilitated under CW12, and newly constructed bridge connects three islands to the mainland. All 11 jetties have been constructed and is in smooth operation.

Additional works CW16 (concrete pavement on Islands) is still ongoing.

The target is likely achieved.

All original and additional financing portions have been completed in Q2 2020. The total cumulated women unskilled labor participated in civil works by end of Q2 2021 was 40.05% (Out of total 82,565 unskilled labor days, 33,070 claimed by women). The additional works have just been awarded the contracts. The target is likely achieved by end of project.

As of 30 June 2021, 22 among 28 civil work packages (including additional works 5 packages) have been completed. Meanwhile, 117 road sections (or 1,149.2 km) which is equivalent to 90.12% of total plan of 138 road section (or 1,275.21 km) have been constructed. 5 additional packages (CW16, CW17, CW18,CW19, CW20) were awarded in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021. CW3B was awarded in May 2021. Twelve contracts of equipment have been completed.

No available data yet. Roads rehabilitation is still ongoing or under the defect liability periods.

Ongoing. 30.92% of female workers under the on-going civil works packages has been hired.

Achieved. Baseline survey report received on 20 November 2017.

Activities for HIV/AIDs are ongoing. 342,739 residents (200,879 women) & Contractors: 8,854 (1,081 women) have been received the HHTPP awareness raising from the program.

COVID-19 pandemic is observed as one of key challenges for raising awareness to community. However, the target is likely achieved.

Achieved. Road safety awareness at the project areas have been conducted. 53,668 participants, of which 23,541 (43.86%) are mothers, participated in community road safety awareness campaigns.

The road safety consultant completed services in May 2021.

Completed. Rural Road Asset Management consulting services was completed in August 2021.

The procurement of axle load control equipment has been completed and the final training (practical training) in operation of the ALC equipment was already provided by the equipment supplier in August 2021.

By the end of September 2021, Seven (7) sets of axle load equipment is now available for operation. This means that 7 Control Mobile teams are ready for operations.

Not yet due. The target will likely be achieved. The civil works are still either under construction or defect liability periods.

For roads where its defect liability periods ended, they will be included in the next year maintenance plan.

Obviously, 1,002,530 USD was allocated for maintenance of 17 project roads, 219.58 km in Battambong, Pursat and Banteay Meanchey in 2021.

Achieved. The project has already achieved over the target of increasing the number of PMU staff to 31 (23 males and 8 females) against the target of 22 from 12 (7 males and 5 females) in 2016.

Ongoing. Some of SEO staff, which is part of PMU, staff have undertaken social and gender issues training. In addition, PMU staff attended the ADB Safeguard and Gender trainings on 6-8 May and 20-21 November 2019. Training has been provided by construction and supervision consultants on 10 September 2019 at MRD on the Gender and Social Safeguard. SEO Staff also joined the training. As of Q2 2021, all of PMU staff have received a series of training on gender, social safeguards, resettlement, HHTPP and road safety.

The Rural Road Safety (RRS) program focuses on changing road users' behavior, which causes over 90% of crashes, in a sustainable manner. 52,501(43.47% female) villagers were conducted educational awareness and 56 trainings of 2,450 (26.12% female) village trainers have been conducted. Road crash data collection and analysis along project roads from 2016 to date have been done. 714 teacher's capacity building trainings for teachers at targeted safe school zones have been provided. Road safety action plans of all targeted 131 communes in the project provinces have been developed and approved by the commune officials.

Under Community Awareness Program, 286,328 residents (166,095 women) and 8,338 construction workers (1,006 women) have received trainings. 360 commune members and district AIDs committees (180 women) have been trained to be trainers as of 30 April 2021.