Cambodia : Third Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Services Sector Development Program

Project Name

Third Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Services Sector Development Program

Project Number

50101-002

Country / Economy

• Cambodia

Project Status

Active

Project Type / Modality of Assistance

• Grant
• Loan

Source of Funding / Amount

Grant 0670-CAM: Third Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Development Program

Source	Amount
Asian Development Fund	US$ 4.39 million

Grant 0671-CAM: Third Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Development Program

Source	Amount
High Level Technology Fund	US$ 1.00 million

Loan 3832-CAM: Third Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Service Sector Development Program

Source	Amount
Concessional ordinary capital resources lending	US$ 15.00 million

Loan 3833-CAM: Third Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Services Sector Development Project

Source	Amount
Concessional ordinary capital resources lending	US$ 29.61 million

Operational Priorities

• OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities
• OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality
• OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability
• OP4: Making cities more livable
• OP5: Promoting rural development and food security
• OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity
• OP7: Fostering regional cooperation and integration

Sector / Subsector

• Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban policy, institutional and capacity development - Urban sanitation - Urban water supply

Gender

Effective gender mainstreaming

Description

The proposed project will continue expansion of rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) services, expanding the number of provinces from six to eight (Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Kampong Speu, Kampot, Pursat, and Siem Reap), and serving about 600 villages. While the general approach will remain the same, refinements to the project will include: (i) improved hybrid-CLTS approach developed under the JFPR grant, incorporating climate change, disaster risk management, and water and sanitation safety planning; (ii) improved water quality testing; (iii) revised approach for the sanitation subsidy and new target of open defecation free communes; and (iv) new sanitation solutions for fecal sludge management and floating villages developed under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

Rationale for further sector financing. A third sector project is needed to support the government in its continuous efforts to achieve (i) universal RWSS coverage nationwide and (ii) its recently introduced target of an open defecation free Cambodia, where every households has a toilet. Given that 36.7% of the rural population does not have access to safe water supply and 35.8% does not have access to a household toilet (and currently practicing open defecation), the task of achieving the government targets remains huge, even given the significant gains over the past decade. The current annual levels of growth for water supply (1.8%) and sanitation (4.3% post-2010) are insufficient to reach the 2025 target coverage, and both must be accelerated to at least 5% per annum until 2025 to realize the vision of universal coverage. Continued sector financing is needed to at least 2025, and possibly 2030, for the government to achieve its targets. The additional sector loan modality is suitable because of (i) strong links with the current project, including capacities developed; (ii) a high degree of project readiness, and a well-performing executing agency; and (iii) scaling up project benefits using innovative designs in climate change, disaster risk management, and sanitation, developed under the ongoing TR-TA and grant.

Strategic alignment. The project will contribute to the government's efforts to achieve universal coverage for improved water supply and sanitation coverage by 2025. The project (i) remains consistent with ADB's country partnership strategy, which focuses on strengthening urbanrural links in the Tonle Sap Basin; and (ii) is included in ADB's country operations business plan for Cambodia, 2019-2023. Lessons include (i) the need for greater focus on addressing gender inequality and supporting women's and community leadership to overcome cultural norms; (ii) the need to develop equitable solutions to address increases in the cost of community small piped water supply facilities, which hamper poorer households meeting beneficiary contributions; and (iii) the need to introduce climate change adaptation and mitigation together with disaster risk management to address the impact of climate change on RWSS, which is becoming significant with more severe floods and droughts and the depletion of groundwater sources in the dry season.

Impact

Universal access to safe water supply and sanitation services in Cambodia by 2025

Project Outcome

Description of Outcome

Universal access to safe and uninterrupted rural water supply and sanitation services in participating districts

Progress Toward Outcome

The cost of acquiring safe drinking water has decreased by 50%. This will be further validated during the endline survey to be carried out in Q3 2024 and results will be reported in the project completion report to be completed in September 2024.Three rounds of water quality tests have been carried out. The third annual report was (2023) was completed in April 2024. Water quality in general meets the national standards. In locations, where the level of iron and manganese is higher, additional treatment facilities are provided (additional filters).

Implementation Progress

Description of Project Outputs

Rural water supply infrastructure and services improved and expanded

Rural sanitation infrastructure and services improved and expanded

Institutional capacity improved

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

The three design and monitoring framework (DMF) indicators under Output 1 are either or exceeded. The target of 2,500 water supply facilities either rehabilitated, upgraded, or constructed to provide safe rural water supply was exceeded with 2,963 constructed or rehabilitated. One hundred four schools and 12 health centers have also been provided with water supply facilities (the target was met). To ensure a proper operation and maintenance (O&M) of the built facilities, 2,969 water management committees have been formed. Overall, 14,820 persons participated as board members of these water management committees with 5,928 women (40%), which implies that the target of at least 40% of women represented in the user group WSUG boards has been met.

The DMF indicators under output 2 have also been achieved or exceeded. More than 12,300 subsidized household latrines have been completed (exceeding the target of 8,000). 131 schools and 16 health centers have been provided with sanitation facilities (exceeding the target of 100, and 16, respectively). More than 12,700 self-financed latrines have also been constructed as a result from the behavioural change campaigns. 41 communes have obtained open defecation-free (ODF). MRD targets that all the 56 communes covered under the project can be declared ODF by the project completion (September 2024). Targets under Output 3 have also been achieved. The capacity development activities on management and leadership have been completed. Water safety plans for the majority of project villages have been completed with the remaining 41 plans to be completed by December 2023.

Geographical Location

Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Pursat, Siem Reap

Safeguard Categories

Environment

B

Involuntary Resettlement

C

Indigenous Peoples

B

Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects

Environmental Aspects

No significant adverse impacts have been identified. All Batches of subprojects (4 batches) were categorized as C. Environmental due diligence reports for all subprojects have been prepared and disclosed.

Involuntary Resettlement

No land acquisition is required so far.

Indigenous Peoples

No impact under Batch 1. Under Batch 2, IPs have been identified in four locations. The IPP has been completed and disclosed (July 2021). Under Batch 3, IPs have been identified in two communes. The IPP was disclosed in January 2022. For Batch 4 (final batch), no IP has been identified.

Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation

During Project Design

A stakeholder communication strategy was prepared to provide guidance during project implementation.

During Project Implementation

Stakeholder consultations are conducted in line with the stakeholder communication strategy, which are recorded in the feasibility study for each commune (batches of subprojects).

Contact

Responsible ADB Officer

Hasanah, Siti

Responsible ADB Department

Sectors Group

Responsible ADB Division

Water and Urban Development Sector Office (SG-WUD)

Executing Agencies

Ministry of Rural Development

Timetable

Concept Clearance

07 Oct 2016

Fact Finding

06 Feb 2019 to 19 Feb 2019

MRM

07 Aug 2019

Approval

30 Sep 2019

Last Review Mission

-

Last PDS Update

23 Jul 2024

Funding

Grant 0670-CAM

Grant 0671-CAM

Loan 3832-CAM

Loan 3833-CAM