AKP Phnom Penh, July 29, 2025 --

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.

Mr. Sardar Umar Alam updated the Minister on the result of the 2nd meeting of the Regional Project Steering Committee (RPSC) for the Cambodia-Mekong Delta Aquifer (CMDA) with a focus on the sustainable management of shared groundwater resources between Cambodia and Vietnam in the Mekong Delta.

The CMDA project aims to address challenges related to groundwater resources through strengthening transboundary groundwater and its sustainable use, as well as to promote cooperation between the two countries.

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) under partnership with UNESCO, he added.

H.E. Eang Sophalleth expressed his support for the project and recommended the creation of a new biosphere site and geological park in Cambodia, stressing that Sralao Island, a potential area, should be considered as the first carbon-neutral and plastic-free island in the country.

He also underscored the ministry's readiness in close collaboration with UNESCO and concerned stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the project, focusing on mapping and assessing the depleting rate of groundwater resources to ensure sustainable water in Cambodia in the future. 

 
By Lim Nary