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Cambodia's water and sanitation crisis

Approximately 3 million people out of the total population in Cambodia lack access to safe water, and 6.5 million lack access to improved sanitation. With approximately 77 percent of Cambodians living in rural areas, poor access to safe water and sanitation disproportionately affects its rural communities. Although Cambodia has one the fastest growing economies in Asia, the GDP per capita still remains low compared to neighboring countries, and access to affordable financing for water and sanitation remains a barrier for families in need to secure water connections and toilets for their homes.

Access to affordable financing for water and sanitation remains a barrier for families in need of safe water and sanitation in Cambodia.
Our-Impact_Cambodia_Map-RV.png
3 M 3 million people lack access to safe water
6.5 M 6.5 million people lack access to improved sanitation

Our impact in Cambodia

Cambodia is an ideal environment for our WaterCredit solution. A well-developed microfinance sector in a country with high water and sanitation needs represents an excellent platform for expanding access to affordable financing for water supply and sanitation improvements. Water.org laid the groundwork in Cambodia in 2014 and launched the first WaterCredit program in 2015. 

Water.org is now working with 10 local microfinance institutions and meeting the demand of low-income families. Our partners started lending activities in the fall of 2016, after finalizing market research and loan product development. The program had an ambitious goal of reaching more than 300,000 people in three years and we achieved that goal in less than two years. This demonstrates suitability of our WaterCredit solution in the Cambodian market as well as the strong commitment of our partner institutions.  Water.org sees great potential to scale our impact in Cambodia by expanding WaterCredit as well as implementing other innovative interventions to reach even more people with access to safe water and sanitation.

1.1 M 1.1 million people reached
$129 M $129 million in loans disbursed by our partners
269 K 269,000 loans disbursed for water and sanitation
10 partners
  • Featured

    Giving babies a healthy start with water

    For Sophon, there was nothing beautiful about the water-related burdens she endured much of her life in rural Cambodia. She wanted to end those burdens for her son.

    Read more
    Sophon
  • Featured

    For Thy's girls

    “No father wants his daughters unsafe just because they don’t have water at home.” Heartfelt words spoken from a father raising two girls in rural Cambodia.

    Read more
    Thy in Cambodia
Cambodia

Stories of people we empower in Cambodia

Hang and Phat have much to celebrate

Water.org is working in more than thirteen countries on four continents to empower families with safe water and sanitation – families like Hang and Phat in Cambodia. The couple lives in a rural Cambodian village. Here, they raised their son and daughter. An adult now, their son recently announced his engagement to be married. It is traditional to host the celebration at the groom’s family home but Hang and Phat did not have a toilet. Read about how Water.org's work in Cambodia changed their story.

Read more
Giving babies a healthy start with water

For Sophon, there was nothing beautiful about the water-related burdens she endured much of her life in rural Cambodia. She wanted to end those burdens for her son.

Read more
For Thy's girls

“No father wants his daughters unsafe just because they don’t have water at home.” Heartfelt words spoken from a father raising two girls in rural Cambodia.

Read more
Fear to freedom

Concerned for their daughters’ safety, this couple found a solution that empowered them to stop fearing what could go wrong, and start dreaming about what could go right.

Read more
See all Cambodia stories

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