The Project for Flood Prevention and Drainage Improvement in the capital’s Daun Penh and Tuol Kork districts was inaugurated on April 20. The project aims to tackle the emerging issues of rain water flooding in the northern Wat Phnom in Daun Penh district and in Tuol Kork district’s Boeung Kak I and Boeung Kak II communes. The ceremony to open Phase IV of the $36 million – funded with Japanese aid – project was presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hun Sen said the project, despite its expense, provided a lot of benefits for the residents of Phnom Penh, especially by averting flooding and preventing the drainage system from becoming clogged with rubbish. “Today, we are elated because this New Year, we are inaugurating another achievement that has come from the close cooperation between Cambodia and Japan,” he said. The premier thanked the government and people of Japan – through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – for its thorough study on flood prevention and the improvement of Cambodia’s drainage system. “Japan also played a part in helping Cambodia gain independence on November 9, 1953,” he added. He also thanked the Japanese government for its continued assistance to Cambodia. The municipal Department of Public Works and Transport said that the project was composed of 12.6km of drainage pipe, an underground reservoir in the public park in front of the Council for the Development of Cambodia on riverside near Wat Phnom; the mechanical screen pits in front of the reservoir and two sets of vehicle-mounted drainage pumps. Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng thanked the government and people of Japan for their financial, material and technical assistance to the municipal administration as it carried out projects related to flood prevention and drainage and for their contribution to the Choeung Ek Wastewater treatment Facility. “These achievements are not only testament to the Cambodian government’s commitment to supporting and developing the city’s infrastructure, but also strengthen the bonds of solidarity, friendship and cooperation between Cambodia and Japan,” he said. Karimata Atsushi, a representative of the Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh, that said urbanisation has been booming in the capital, due to Cambodia’s high economic growth. However, Phnom Penh had a high risk of flooding due to its flat terrain and low land levels. “Designing and improving the drainage system is an indispensable task for further economic development in Phnom Penh and improving the living environment of the residents of the city,” he said. JICA in Cambodia said this project was completed in October 2021, and covered the northern part of the Wat Phnom and Toul Kork areas. “After the completion of the project, inundation in northern Wat Phnom and Toul Kork through decreasing frequency and duration of flooding has been improved. It has also contributed to better conditions of hygiene, traffic congestion and economic activities by reducing inundation,” JICA said. JICA added that the project was implemented by the Capital Administration to tackle the emerging issue of rain water flooding that the city faced. JICA appreciated all of the parties involved for their efforts to overcome all challenges until the project was completed.