Validation and Capacity-building Workshop on Groundwater Management Framework for Cambodia
A two-day validation and capacity-building workshop on the “Development of Groundwater Management Framework for Cambodia” was concluded in Siem Reap, Cambodia from November 19 to 20. The workshop is a part of AIT’s “Strengthening Groundwater Governance and Management in Cambodia” project under the SUMERNET 4 All Programme, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The event was jointly organized by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) – Asia Center, the SUMERNET 4 All Programme, and the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS) of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM), Cambodia. The workshop aimed to validate and refine the Groundwater Management Framework for Cambodia and enhance stakeholder capacity for sustainable groundwater management.
The workshop commenced with opening remarks by Mr. Sem Samnang, Director of the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS), followed by welcoming addresses from Dr. Thanapon Piman of the SEI-Asia Center, Prof. Sangam Shrestha of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and Dr. Tussanee Nettasena of the Department of Groundwater Resources (DGR), Thailand. Dr. Piman emphasized the importance of developing a groundwater management framework for Cambodia and outlined the workshop’s primary objectives and agenda in alignment with the project’s overarching goals.
Prof. Shrestha, the principal investigator of the GWAC project and Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology at AIT, presented an overview of the proposed Groundwater Management Framework for Cambodia, highlighting its thematic pillars and key attributes. This was followed by a feedback and open discussion session, where stakeholders, primarily from line ministries, shared their opinions and expectations for the framework.
Members of the project team, including Dr. Saurav KC (AIT, Thailand), Mr. Uttam Ghimire (SEI – Asia Center), Ms. Parichat Pinsri (SEI – Asia Center), and Mr. Tungish Uprety (AIT, Thailand), facilitated presentations and discussions on each thematic pillar of the framework. They provided a detailed overview of the guiding principles and priority actions associated with its attributes.
The proposed framework components were validated through discussions with more than 50 participants representing key institutions, including the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Institute of Technology Cambodia, the Department of Meteorology, and the Cambodia National Mekong Committee (CNMC), among others. Participants actively engaged in the sessions, sharing their perspectives on the framework’s components and their expectations for its implementation.
The second day of the workshop focused on capacity-building activities. Dr. Tussanee Nettasena from Thailand’s Department of Groundwater Resources (DGR) conducted an in-depth training session on key topics, including hydrogeology, groundwater licensing, monitoring techniques, and management practices. Participants also took part in an interactive serious game on sustainable groundwater management, facilitated by Mr. Tungish Uprety and Ms. Rojina Shrestha from AIT. The game underscored the importance of balancing sustainable groundwater use, licensing regulations, and sectoral water demands, while demonstrating the long-term impacts and trade-offs involved. This exercise reinforced the principles outlined in the proposed framework, providing a practical understanding of sustainable groundwater management.
Throughout the workshop, participants emphasized the importance of clear groundwater licensing and permitting systems, robust monitoring mechanisms, and a strong institutional framework to ensure sustainable groundwater management in Cambodia. During the wrap-up discussion, Prof. Shrestha and Dr. Piman commended the participants for their active engagement and valuable contributions, expressing confidence that the workshop marks a significant step toward developing a sustainable groundwater management strategy for the country
The event concluded with closing remarks from Prof. Ashim Das Gupta, who emphasized the pressing need for a comprehensive groundwater management framework in Cambodia.