The Cambodia COUNTRY BRIEF

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Abigayle Curtis
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The Cambodia COUNTRY BRIEF The Country Briefs were prepared by governments ahead of the SWA 2019 Sector Ministers Meeting.

Country context For the past 20 years the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has made efforts to transform and develop Cambodia through three phases of implementation of the Rectangular Strategy for

Building on the results and recognizing the challenges, the RGC has put forward the Sixth Legislature of the National Assembly as the new Political Platform, setting out strategic goals, prioritized

1 The Cambodia COUNTRY BRIEF The Country Briefs were prepared by governments ahead of the SWA 2019 Sector Ministers Meeting. They are a snap-shot of the country s current state in terms of water, sanitation and hygiene, and future targets. 1. Country context For the past 20 years the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has made efforts to transform and develop Cambodia through three phases of implementation of the Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity, and Efficiency. Building on the results and recognizing the challenges, the RGC has put forward the Sixth Legislature of the National Assembly as the new Political Platform, setting out strategic goals, prioritized policies, sectoral development policies, and specific measures to be implemented from 2019 onwards toward the goals of Cambodia Vision 2030 and The Sixth Legislature of the National Assembly and the Rectangular Strategy-Phase IV serve as a comprehensive policy framework for formulating the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) with defined indicators and timeframe for implementation consistent with the RGC s sectoral policies Cambodia has recently graduated from low-income country status to lower middle-income country (LMIC) with gross national income (GNI) per capita reaching US$1,230 in Previously perceived as an economically-underdeveloped country, it is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world and a great performer in terms of poverty reduction and improvement in social indicators. The nominal value of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated and projected at billion riels (US$22,200 million) and 99,116 billion riels (US$24,552 million), with GDP per capita reaching US$1,434 and US$1,568 in 2017 and 2018, respectively 3. Cambodia s population was estimated at 16 million 4 Annual population growth is projected to fall to 1.08 per cent between 2025 and Cambodia is witnessing rapid urbanization and while still predominantly a rural population. The poverty rate in 2014 was 13.5%. Around 4.5 million people remain near-poor, vulnerable to falling back into poverty due to economic and other external shocks 5. 1 Rectangular-Strategy-Phase-IV_ENGVersion.pdf 2 Cambodia Overview, World Bank, MEF (2017) Budget Summary Statement; MEF (2016). Circular on 2017 Budget Law Preparation 4 Ministry of Planning, Population Projection of Cambodia, Cambodia Overview: World Bank, 2017 Page 1

2 Despite progress, child mortality remains among the highest in Asia, predominately due to high neonatal mortality, inadequate complementary feeding practices, the poor nutritional status of women of reproductive age and poor Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) coverage 6. Malnutrition is considered the underlying cause of 45 per cent of child deaths and 20 per cent of maternal deaths and this creates an economic loss of one to two per cent of GDP annually. Thirty-two per cent, or approximately 0.5 million, of children under five are stunted. While net enrollment in primary education increased from 82 per cent in 1997 to 93.5 per cent in 2017, lower secondary completion rates, at 42.7 per cent in 2017, are significantly below the average for lower middle-income countries. According to the 2017 World Risk Report, Cambodia is ranked among the top 15 countries in the world that have the highest exposure to extreme natural events with an exposure rating of per cent. Climate Change was already a key priority in the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) Nine Line Ministries, including the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), have adopted sectoral Climate Change Strategic Plans, with support from the Cambodia Climate Change Alliance (CCCA). The Cambodia Climate Change Strategic Plan (CCCSP) , launched by the Prime Minister, is the key reference for programming. 2. SDGs and the water, sanitation and hygiene sector The Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (RWSSH) Sector envisions Everyone in rural communities has sustained access to safe water supply and sanitation services and lives in a hygienic environment by 2025 as specified in the National Water and Sanitation Policy Based on the Cambodia Socio Economic Survey (CSES), the rate of improved sanitation in rural areas has increased significantly, from 29.2% (2010) to 71.2 % (2017). Open defecation rate has dropped almost 40%, from 65.7 % (2010) to 25.4% (2017). These represent an annual change rate of + 6% and 5.6% respectively. MRD s Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys of 2010 and 2016 indicate that hygiene practices have seen significant as well as modest positive changes. Rural Water Supply has increased at a more modest rate of 12.1 % from 46.6% 7 to 58.7% in The Government refers to the CSES results for planning and monitoring of the Sector. However, relating to inequality, the Government utilizes the JMP data that show only 61% of the poorest population have access to drinking water as opposed to 86 % among the richest. Rural sanitation shows a much wider gap to only 14% of the poorest population with access to improved sanitation services compared to 91% among the richest. Hygiene also shows 49% and 91% coverage respectively 8. MRD has just developed a Rural Development Strategic Plan as part of the efforts towards improved quality of life of the 6 Updated Situation Analysis of Women and Children in Cambodia, UNICEF CSES Washdata.org Page 2

3 rural communities. Specific targets, at least 30% female representation in the PWGs and various capacity development initiatives, has been established in the efforts to address gender divides. 3. Collaborative Behaviours, Building Blocks and Guiding Principles The Sector has developed the National Strategic Plan (NSP) RWSSH , as the key guiding document for the sector. To operationalize the Strategic Plan, two National Action Plans (NAPs) have been developed ie NAP I for and NAP II for period. The NAP I has been implemented and subjected to regular and final review. The Technical Working Group for Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (TWG-RWSSH) was established formally in 2007 as the government led formal mechanism to coordinate activities of different organizations/sectors with responsibilities for RWSSH. Chaired by the Minister of MRD and co-chaired by a development partner on a rotating basis (since 2011 UNICEF), members of the TWG RWSSH include the Ministry of Economic and Finance (MEF), Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MOEYS), Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts, Ministry of Women s Affairs, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology and Ministry of Interior. A representative of the NGO and development partners is also a member of the TWG. At the Sub-national level, Provincial Working Group (PWG)- RWSSH led by the Deputy Provincial Governor has been established in each of the 25 provinces. Cooperation and collaboration in effective resource mobilization are still encountering challenges. Collective knowledge for intervention is still impediment 9. An ODA database maintained by the Cambodia Development Council (CDC), shows a total disbursement of $52,401,850 for RWSSH in the period. The Department of Rural Health Care/MRD, mandated for sanitation and hygiene improvement, and the Department of Rural Water Supply/MRD now function as a separate budgeting unit, allowing more detailed and separate tracking of budgets and expenditure for rural water supply and rural sanitation against results. RWSSH Monitoring Information System (MIS) was established in 2018 covering six key indicators. Another source of information is the commune database hosted by the Ministry of Planning, and in absence of more precise data, this is the only available data at commune level. However, the reliability of this data is not assured. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports is responsible for school sanitation via the School Health Department. The Education Management Information System (EMIS) collects data on schools with improved water and sanitation facilities on a yearly basis. 4. Eliminating Inequalities 9 Rural Sanitation Decentralized Service Delivery Assessment Report: Success and Gaps Required for Improved D&D Reform at the Piloted Subnational Administration. World Bank Page 3

4 Cambodian s living in rural areas, and poorer households are more exposed to WASH deprivations than those living in urban areas and richer households. According to the JMP 2017 updates: 30% of rural Cambodians do not use safely managed or basic drinking water, compared to 4% of urban Cambodians 10 ; 51% of rural Cambodians practice open defecation, compared to 3% of urban Cambodians; 40% of rural Cambodians do not have basic hand hygiene facilities, compared to 12% of urban Cambodians; 61% of the poorest rural Cambodians use improved drinking water, compared to 86% of the richest rural Cambodians; 81% of the poorest rural Cambodians practice open defecation, compared to 11% of the richest rural Cambodians, Efforts have been made to address inequalities including specifically targeting poor households and those living in challenging environment in the NAP II and development of National Guiding Principles on Hardware Subsidies for Rural Household Sanitation in The NAP also seeks to close the gender gap in WASH leadership by targeting at least 30% female participation in coordination committees. 5. Water, sanitation and hygiene Financing The basic water supply and sanitation service delivery gaps for the NAP period will translate to the requirements of at least US$898.4 million 11, including the total capital investment requirements 12 ADB has committed to financing the Third Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Services Sector Development Program $ 40 million ($ 25 million from Asia Development Fund, $ 10 million loan co-financing and $ 5 million counterpart funding) UNICEF is commencing its Country Program which will include an anticipated $ 12.7 million for WASH) 6. Country priorities and commitments based on the NAP RWSSH Increased Access and Sector Performance: MRD will strive to increase service access in rural Cambodia by engaging with Minister of Finance and relevant Ministries as well as Provincial Governors of the 25 Provinces and District Governors of 159 Districts to achieve the targets of NAP II and to fulfil the Sector Vision of universal coverage by The ministry of Rural Development commits to have at least four Open Defecation Free provinces by The NAP II main targets are: a. 90 % rural households use basic water supply services, b. 33 % rural households use safely managed water supply services 10 UNICEF/WHO JMP 2017 Cambodia country file The estimates included an additional funding necessary for the operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities until 2023 with factored in the average of annual inflation rate of 4.87%. 12 The capital investment requirements were estimated based on SDA, including the public investment requirement (domestic (government), and external (development partners and NGOs)), and the household capital investment requirement. This capital investment are mainly related to the NAP Output 2 and Output 3 Page 4

5 c. 90% rural households use basic sanitation services d. Attainment of at least four Open Defecation Free (ODF) provinces e. 35% rural households use safely managed sanitation services f. 90 % rural households with handwashing facility with water and soap 2. Address Equity and Target the Poor: MRD commits to improving sustainable services for the poor, addressing social and gender inequities and inclusion of specific disadvantaged and underserved groups including those living in challenging environment. Last mile/leave no one behind is becoming a key topic for the sector to work on together and MRD will convene a new sectoral task force to address inequalities by examining the barriers to marginalised groups accessing WASH and scalable solutions. By 2023, a. 70% Poor HHs have access to basic water supply services that are available all year round and climate resilient b. % HHs in challenging environment have access to basic water supply services that are available all year round and climate resilient c. 70 % poor HHs have access to basic sanitation services d. 70 % HHs in challenging environment have access to basic sanitation services e. For the next 2 to 3 years, the targets have been set at 63-65% 3. Strengthen the institutional capacity at the national and sub-national level: MRD commits to continue to strengthen the capacity of key staff responsible for RWSSH improvement, at the national and sub-national level. The key indicators are # MRD, PDRDs, District Administration and PWGs staff members responsible for RWSSH completed training/learning based on capacity development plan with at least 30% female participation, The targets are 25, 75, 165 and 25 respectively by Strengthen Sector and Inter-Sector Coordination: MRD commits to strengthening the sectoral and inter-sector coordination mechanism through the established WASH and Nutrition Working Group, WASH in Schools Working Group and coordination with the Ministry of Health on WASH in Health Care Facilities and with the Ministry of Interior on progressive decentralization of services to district level. 7. Mechanisms for review and follow-up on the priorities and commitments The TWG-RWSSH will be the main mechanism for review and follow up on the priorities and commitments. The TWG-RWSSH has been meeting on a quarterly basis to review progress of the NAP RWSSH. This mechanism will be the main one for review and follow-up on the priorities and commitments. Existing other coordination mechanisms including the WatSan Group, WASH and Nutrition Sub-Working Group, Rural Sanitation and Hygiene (RuSH) Sub-Working Group, Rural Water Supply Sub-Working Group will also be utilized. 8. Possible barriers towards the achievement of the commitments and approaches to overcoming them Persistent lack of institutional capacity, particularly in addressing inequality Page 5

6 Unsuccessful resource mobilization and lack of donors funding due to graduation to LMIC Increasing natural disasters as negative impacts of climate change Approaches to overcoming these barriers have been included in the NAP II for example by specifying that all water supply systems to be established or rehabilitated need to be climate resilience. MRD will strive to ensure effective implementation of the planned activities at the provincial level among other things through stronger leadership of local authorities and technical support from the national level supported by sector partners. Inter-Ministry working groups/meetings, involved in the preparation of the Brief: The Secretariat of the Technical Working Group for Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (TWG-RWSSH) has been involved in the preparation of the Brief. 9. Contacts Main contacts for further information: Chreay Pom, General Director for Technical Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development Page 6

Policy, Advocacy and Communication

Policy, Advocacy and Communication situation Over the last decade, significant progress has been made in realising children s rights to health, education, social protection and gender equality in Cambodia.