ADB approves 93.6-mln-USD financing to Cambodia

MANILA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday approved 93.6 million U.S. dollars in loans and grants to improve and expand climate-resilient and inclusive rural water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in Cambodia.
The program, covering 88,000 households in nine provinces, will support government efforts to provide universal access to safely managed water supply services and basic hygiene facilities in rural areas and improve access to safely managed sanitation facilities while addressing affordability, the ADB said in its press release.
The program includes a 3-million-dollar grant to help finance the expansion of WASH facilities in the provinces where poor rural residents face the greatest challenges in accessing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.
A technical assistance worth 600,000 dollars will strengthen the government’s capacity to enact key sector reforms under the program.
In 2022, access to the safely managed water supply was 29 percent for the country and even lower at 20 percent in rural areas, while access to safely managed sanitation was 37 percent nationally and 34 percent in rural areas, the ADB said. ■