Irrigation Development and
Management in Cambodia
For
The First Cambodian Development
Cooperation Forum

Presented by H.E. VENG SAKHON, Secretary of
State, Ministry of Water Resources and
Meteorology
19-20 June 2007
CDC

I- Introduction

• Management of water resources is a “cross-cutting” issue, because water is an essential input to many sectors of the Nation’s economy, society and environment.

• The Second Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP-II), Royal Government’s Rectangular Strategy, National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP 2006-2010), and National Poverty Reduction Strategy 2003-2005 (NPRS) have pointed out the numbers of water-related activities.

• MOWRAM’s mandate is required to take leadership in Water Resources Development and Management and closely collaborate with other Royal Government agencies, Provincial, district administrations and civil society.

• MOWRAM was established only in 1999 but the significant achievements attained during the implementation of SEDP-II and NSDP are tremendous and remarkable such as the preparation and adoption of a National Policy on Water Resources Management, implementation of a major project to protect Phnom Penh Capital City from flooding, and implementation of numerous projects in different scales and Strategic Development Plan for Water Sector has been implemented

MOWRAM has focused on five principle areas of works as shown in the following:

1. water resources management and development

2. flood and drought management

3. water-related legislation and regulation

4. water resources information management

5. administration, management, and human resources development.

MOWRAM has set up several important development goals such as:

• A Medium Term Strategy for Agriculture and Water is in place, supported by river basin plans in selected key basins;

• Farmers of irrigable cropland are better able to manage water, over an area that is increasing by at least 20,000 ha/year. "Hardware" (infrastructure such as regulators and canals) and "software" (improved management systems such as Farmer Water User Communities) are being developed;

• Farmers of predominantly rain-fed cropland are better able to manage water, over an area that is increasing by at least 20,000 ha/year. "Hardware" (infrastructure such as dug ponds or more efficient field layouts) and "software" (e.g. advisory extension services) are being developed;

• An integrated approach to water resources management and development is in use, which considers all sources of water, linkages between water and other components of the basin environment, and the varying human and ecological demands on water resources.

• National Policy on Water Resources Management (NPWRM) was adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2004. It covers all aspects of Cambodia’s water resources, including seawater and associated marine resources.

• Water for agriculture is given high priority, and five policy points are stated:

• To provide farmers with the quantity and quality of water they need, when and where they need it, and within the limits of available water resources and technology.

• To promote the rehabilitation and construction of irrigation, drainage, and flood management infrastructure, in order to provide sufficient water for agricultural production and to alleviate the adverse consequences of excess water.

• To promote the development and extension of appropriate water management technologies that are particularly suited to rain-fed agricultural areas, such as water harvesting, improvements to the moisture-holding capacities of soils and use of farm ponds.

• To strengthen and expand Farmer Water User Communities, to enable them to participate in water management and allocation and to maintain irrigation infrastructure with effectiveness and sustainability.

• To minimize the impact on the water resources caused by the uses of chemical substances in the agricultural production by encouraging people to implement diversified agriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

V- Achievements

Based on National Strategic Development Plan 2006-2010; National Poverty Reduction Strategy, Royal Government's Strategic Framework for Decentralization and Deconcentration reform and existing MAFF and MOWRAM strategies, a proposed Medium Term Strategy for Agriculture and Water (2006-2010) has been formulated by TWGAW’s members and was approved by two Ministers, Minister of MAFF and MOWRAM on 30th March 2007.

To achieve this medium term strategy, it incorporates five main program areas:

• The Institutional Capacity Building and Management and Support Program for Agriculture and water Resources;

• The Food Security Support Program;

• The Agricultural and Agri-business;

• The Water Resources, Irrigation and Land Management Program, and

• Agricultural and Water research and Land Management Program.

Following MOWRAM's mandate, coordination and cooperation among line ministries and External Development Partners, and in line with the RGC's Rectangular Strategy and NSDP 2006-2010, Strategic Development Plan on Water Sector and Policy on Water Resources Management, MOWRAM has attained the remarkable achievements as follows:

• Law on Water Resources Management has recently been adopted by the National Assembly on 22 May 2007;

• Numbers of Sub-decrees have been drafted and will be proceeded to inter-ministerial meetings for comments and discussion prior to submitting to the Council of Ministers for approval;

• Circulars, Declarations (Prakas) have been prepared and enforced for the purpose of proper management, operation and maintenance of irrigation systems to meet the irrigation development policy on Participatory Irrigation Management and Development (PIMD) and Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT);

• Medium Term Strategy on Agriculture and Water has been jointly formulated, approved and promulgated by the two ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology;

• With the support of various External Development Partners such as ADB, AFD, JICA, WB, KOICA, Korea Exim-Bank, Aust-Aid, Japan, India, Italia, China, WFP, FAO including Government Counterpart Fund and National budget, 253 schemes in different scales were rehabilitated and constructed from year 1999 to 2006 in which Irrigation systems can secure water for rice cultivation over the area of 716,453 ha (32% of total rice cultivation area), Flood control dikes can be protected over the area of 130,550 ha and Sea Protection Dikes (Polders) can be protected from sea intrusion to the cultivable area over 18,390 ha. More than Seventy six million and seven thousand US Dollars (more than USD76,700,000) have been used for aforementioned rehabilitation;

• More than 500,000 ha of rice affected area were intervened by pumps through various government agencies to fight to the drought which is yearly occurred and seriously affected to the agricultural production;

• Through the application of new concepts on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), and River Basin Management (RBM) and Water Use Study, five river basins have been completely studied under Northwest Irrigation Sector Project and other four river basins are being studied under the ADB-PPTA on Water Resources Management (Sector) Project.

• In the purpose of increasing of agricultural production through irrigation rehabilitation, two river basins were completely studied and other four river basins are being studied by JICA.

• The Master Plan on Water Resources Development is being developed by KOICA to identify possible sites and its potential for future development of medium and large scale water resource projects in Cambodia.

VI- Further Steps

• To continue working with the External Development Partners to fulfil the completion of remaining parts (downstream) of irrigation systems and theirs facilities and to implement the projects which were identified and selected based on the results of river basin management and water use study;

• To continue the implementation of irrigation policy on Participatory Irrigation Management and Development and Irrigation Management and Transfer including formulation and strengthening of Farmer Water User's Community;

• To allocate the national budget for Operation and Management;

• To create more possible water sources and increase water storage capacity to fight the drought;

• To promote the project implementation with application of the new concept on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), and based on the results of River Basin Management and Water Use Study;

• To enforce Law on Water Resources Management and to promote the formulation of sub-decrees and legal instruments to support the water resources development and management;

• To strengthen the capacity of government officials to better management and development on the field of water resources including law enforcement;

• To implement the Principal Statement under the framework of Medium Term Strategy on Agriculture and Water;

• To continue to coordinate and cooperate with and appeal for External Development Partners to continue to support and participate in water resources development and management.

Thank you very much
for
your kind attention