Phnom penh: The Ministry of Environment and UNESCO are committed to fostering cooperation on the conservation of sustainable natural resources and cultural heritages. The commitment was revealed in a meeting between H.E. Eang Sophalleth, Minister of Environment, and Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, Head of the UNESCO Office in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh on July 28.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Mr. Sardar Umar Alam updated the Minister on the results of the 2nd meeting of the Regional Project Steering Committee (RPSC) for the Cambodia-Mekong Delta Aquifer (CMDA). The focus of the meeting was the sustainable management of shared groundwater resources between Cambodia and Vietnam in the Mekong Delta.
The CMDA project aims to tackle challenges related to groundwater resources by bolstering transboundary groundwater management and its sustainable use. It also seeks to promote cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam. The project is funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF), implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and executed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in partnership with UNESCO.
H.E. Eang Sophalleth expressed his support for the project and proposed the creation of a new biosphere site and geological park in Cambodia. He highlighted Sralao Island as a potential area, aiming for it to be the country's first carbon-neutral and plastic-free island.
The Minister emphasized the ministry's readiness to work closely with UNESCO and relevant stakeholders to accelerate the project's implementation. The focus will be on mapping and assessing the depletion rate of groundwater resources to ensure sustainable water availability in Cambodia's future.