Total cost of approximately 300,000 U.S dollars co-financed by JICA and KOICA focus on the improvement of water resources infrastructure and rural community development

News Release-Translated from Local Newspaper

Kampuchea Thmey Daily Newspaper

Year 8, volume 1980, Friday, June 26, 2009

Total cost of approximately 300,000 U.S dollars co-financed by JICA and KOICA focus on the improvement of water resources infrastructure and rural community development

Phnom Penh: On the evening of June 23, 2009 at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), there was held the signing ceremony on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to implement the JICA-KOICA Joint Program for the Rehabilitation of Irrigation System and Rural Community Development.

The chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Cambodia Office stated that this was the first time that JICA and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Cambodia Office signed on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to implement the JICA-KOICA Joint Program for the Rehabilitation of Irrigation System and Rural Community Development with the total cost of approximately 300,000 U.S dollars co-financed by JICA and KOICA. The main factor was focus on the improvement of water resources infrastructure and building of the capacity of the farmers for effective water management through trainings and the support to the establishment of Farmer Water Users Community (FWUC).

The chief representative also went on to say that the joint program is expected to contribute to the physical infrastructure (irrigation) and agriculture development of the Rectangular Strategy and the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) of the Royal Government of Cambodia. Moreover, the joint program will help strengthening the relationship between JICA and KOICA in the field of irrigation and rural community development.

In line with this, JICA Cambodia Office and KOICA Cambodia Office will collaborate with the Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology especially the Technical Service Center (TSC) and the Provincial Department of Water Resource and Meteorology of Kampong Cham to implement this joint program. The Batheay District of Kampong Cham Province is the targeted area for this joint program which will be implemented till the end of 2009.