Development of Water Infrastructure in Cambodia

Cambodia is currently ranked sixth in the world in GDP growth. The growth has been assisted by three factors: economic aid received from other countries, contributions from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and internal reform. Despite these advances, Cambodia continues to be hampered by the long-lasting damage caused by twentieth-century events: the bombing by the United States during the Vietnam War, the genocide under the Khmer Rouge, and the take-over of the country by the Vietnamese. Cambodia in the 1990s was suffering not only significant loss of basic infrastructure, but also a shortage of human talent due to the systematic destruction of its intellectual class. This paper focuses on deficiencies in one aspect of infrastructure: the lack of systems to deliver clean, sanitary water to the country's urban and rural areas. Clean water is necessary for the health of the citizens as well as industrial development. Water-borne disease adversely affects the well-being and productivity of workers; clean water is also essential for most industrial processes. The problem is especially acute in rural areas, where water is necessary for agriculture. Developing clean water systems requires expertise as well as money to locate, filter, and transport water. This paper will propose concrete steps Cambodia should take to improve its sanitary water infrastructure.