Photos provided by Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co.,Ltd

A Chinese clean water project has helped to improve the livelihood of people living in Cambodia’s rural areas by addressing the problem of safe, clean water.

Launched in 2017, the China-Aid Cambodia Rural Water Supply Project has been underway in rural areas of 10 provinces across Cambodia. Under the project, nearly 1,000 pumping wells and ponds have been built.

For years, the Southeast Asian kingdom has faced serious water shortages in the dry season, especially for villagers in remote areas in Northern Cambodia. With approximately 77 percent of Cambodians living in rural areas, 58 percent of them lack access to safe and clean water, according to a government report.

The phase-II project was undertaken by China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd. Pu Zhengyu, managing director of the company’s branch in Cambodia, said the project aims to dig 964 boreholes and 54 community ponds in the rural areas of 10 provinces. As of December 2020, the sub-progress of the borehole drilling reached 90% and the community ponds had been 74% completed, he said, adding that the general project progress had reached 83%. Most completed wells and ponds have been handed over to local governments and villagers for use.

According to Peng, the livelihood infrastructure will provide clean and hygienic water access for daily production, agricultural irrigation, and livestock breeding for hundreds of thousands of rural residents in Cambodia.

The project was carried out smoothly despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction teams have taken strict anti-virus measures at the construction site and donated supplies such as masks, thermometers and disinfectants to the Cambodian government.

The project was commended by the Cambodia people and the government. Keo Chhay, a project director at the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Department of Rural Development, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to China, saying that the project was vital to address water shortages in rural Cambodia.

(Compiled by Lu Dong)