Cambodia
Cambodia's water and sanitation crisis
More than 2 million people in Cambodia lack access to safe water, and 3 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 of the fastest growing economies in Asia, access to affordable financing for water and sanitation remains a barrier for families to secure water connections and toilets for their homes.
In Cambodia and around the world, millions are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic with the added challenge of living without access to safe water. Now more than ever access to safe water is critical to the health of families in Cambodia.
There is positive momentum as the government of Cambodia set an aggressive goal to reach 100 percent access to improved water and sanitation in rural areas by 2025.
Our impact in Cambodia
Cambodia is an ideal environment for our financial solution. A well-developed microfinance sector in a country with high water and sanitation needs represents an excellent opportunity 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. 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 our smart solutions are a great fit in the Cambodian market and shows the strong commitment of our partner institutions.
Water.org is currently partnering with 11 financial institutions, as well as exploring new partnerships with additional local institutions. We are exploring opportunities to expand WaterCredit through a diverse set of partners, including providing hygiene and financial literacy education to build consumer demand for water and sanitation loan products.
We are also working with local water utilities by providing technical assistance to strengthen their operational performance. This enables utilities to secure loans to improve their services as well as offer affordable financing to their clients to expand piped connections at the household level.
To help us reach more people in need of safe water and sanitation in Cambodia, donate today.
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