{"id":2166,"date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southeast-asia\/news\/flowing-toward-resilience-cambodia-sets-course-with-water-and-drought-action-plans\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T15:56:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:56:34","slug":"flowing-toward-resilience-cambodia-sets-course-with-water-and-drought-action-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southeast-asia\/news\/flowing-toward-resilience-cambodia-sets-course-with-water-and-drought-action-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Flowing Toward Resilience: Cambodia Sets Course with Water and Drought Action Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The launch of the Cambodia National Action Plan on Drought Management and Adaptation 2025-2030<\/i><\/b> and <\/b>Cambodia Climate Resilient and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Action Plan 2026-2030<\/i><\/b> marks a new era in the country\u2019s commitment to sustainable water governance and climate resilience.<\/p>\n

The launching event, led by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MoWRAM)<\/a><\/strong>,<\/span> brought together high-level officials and key national stakeholders as well as international partners who supported the development of these plans, namely the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)<\/b><\/a>, Global Water Partnership Southeast Asia (GWP-SEA) and GWP Cambodia<\/b>. <\/p>\n

The two action plans developed under the leadership of MoWRAM, with support from international partners, provide a strategic roadmap to strengthen Cambodia\u2019s climate resilience and integrated water resource management. The Cambodia National Action Plan on Drought Management and Adaptation 2025-2030 <\/b>aims to increase the capacity to forecast and prepare for drought risks, prioritizes early warning systems, climate-resilient policies and infrastructure, and efficient water use technologies for vulnerable communities. Its development was further supported through the technical assistance of the SDG 6 IWRM Support Programme<\/strong><\/a> (a collaboration between GWP and UNEP-DHI), ensuring alignment with existing IWRM frameworks and national development priorities. The plan was formulated through an inclusive, multi-stakeholder, and gender-sensitive approach.

Further, the Cambodia Climate Resilient and Integrated Water Resources Management Action Plan 2026-2030 <\/b>aims to enhance water governance and sustainable development through improved financing, integrated multi-purpose water management in five priority basins, and strengthened river basin governance. It was developed with technical assistance from the Integrated Drought Management Programme<\/strong><\/a> (a collaboration between GWP and WMO). It focuses on risk assessments, early warning systems, and sector-based planning across agriculture, forestry, and rural water supply.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

Figure 2 H.E. Chhea Bunrith, Permanent Secretary of State, MoWRAM \u00a9 GWP Cambodia, 2025<\/em><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Opening the event, H.E. Chhea Bunrith, Permanent Secretary of State Ministry of MoWRAM<\/b>, emphasized Cambodia\u2019s view of water as a critical driver of national development.<\/b> As part of the government\u2019s Pentagonal Strategy, water has been prioritized alongside people, roads, electricity, and technology<\/b>. The launch of the IWRM and Drought Action Plans was described as a significant step forward<\/b>, representing a timely and collective response to growing water-related challenges<\/b> and calling for shared responsibility across public and private sectors<\/b> to turn these strategies into tangible progress.<\/p>\n

\"\"Figure 3 Jochen Luther, Technical Coordinator for Services, WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific \u00a9 GWP Cambodia, 2025<\/em><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Representing the WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific, Jochen Luther emphasized the urgent need for effective water management amid escalating climate challenges<\/b>, citing 2024 as the hottest and driest year on record globally and in Asia<\/b>. Highlighting Cambodia\u2019s vulnerability due to its reliance on the Mekong River and agriculture, he stressed the importance of integrated strategies to address floods, droughts, and water security.<\/b> He commended MoWRAM\u2019s leadership and the collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach in formulating the plans, and appreciated the critical financial support from the the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative<\/b><\/a>, and the technical support from GWP-SEA, GWP Cambodia, and WMO colleagueas.<\/p>\n

These national plans align with broader regional and global frameworks, <\/b>including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) drought strategy <\/b>and the United Nations\u2019 <\/b>Early Warnings for All (EW4All)<\/b><\/a> initiative<\/b>. WMO reaffirmed its commitment to continued support and urged strong national ownership, inter-ministerial cooperation, co-creation and engagement of all stakeholders, and sustained international collaboration to build resilience and safeguard livelihoods<\/b>.<\/p>\n

In closing remarks by the Permanent Representative of Cambodia with WMO, H.E. Dr Seth Vannareth,<\/b> reflected on the broader significance of the day. The action plans <\/b>were not simply technical outputs but were seen as expressions of Cambodia\u2019s growing institutional readiness to address climate threats<\/b>. She acknowledged the dedication of all stakeholders involved and stressed the importance of maintaining the spirit of cooperation <\/b>that had defined the process so far. The continuation of this collaboration <\/b>was described as essential to ensuring the successful implementation <\/b>of the plans and to building a resilient, water-secure Cambodia for generations to come.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"Figure 4 H.E. Dr Seth Vannareth, Advisor of MoWRAM and Permanent Representative of Cambodia with WMO \u00a9 GWP Cambodia, 2025<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

The event also spotlighted Cambodia\u2019s progress in finalizing its national EW4All roadmap<\/b>, the development of which has been supported through the same Cambodia & Lao PDR CREWS project<\/b>. This roadmap is expected to serve as a key mechanism for coordinating future efforts to strengthen the country\u2019s multi-hazard early warning system and mobilizing funding across sectors<\/b>.<\/p>\n

As Cambodia looks ahead, these national plans offer more than strategy, they offer hope. They represent a country stepping boldly into the future, prepared to face climate uncertainty with unity, innovation, and resilience.<\/p>\n

The final versions of the Cambodia National Action Plan on Drought Management and Adaptation (2025\u20132030) and the Cambodia Climate Resilient and Integrated Water Resources Management Action Plan (2026\u20132030) can be access via the link in the right-hand panel (desktop) or at the bottom of the page (mobile).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Phnom Penh, Cambodia | 19 June 2025 \u2014With climate pressures rising and prolonged dry seasons becoming the new norm, Cambodia has officially launched two groundbreaking national strategies to tackle its most pressing water challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"iawp_total_views":5,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,4],"tags":[73,32],"class_list":["post-2166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive","category-news","tag-english","tag-southeast-asia"],"acf":[],"spectra_custom_meta":{"_sidebar_content":["field_69d4d421acab1"],"sidebar_content":["

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