AKP Phnom Penh, January 15, 2026 -- Cambodia has solidified a decade-long strategic partnership with China’s Mizuda Group to modernise the nation’s urban waste infrastructure, a move officials say is critical to both public health and the country’s "green" economic transition.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed Thursday by the Ministry of Environment under the auspices of its Minister H.E. Dr. Eang Sophalleth, establishes a technical framework for 2026-2036. The deal focuses on high-tech waste sorting, the extraction of economic value from refuse, and the development of waste-to-energy projects at provincial landfills.

Addressing the delegation, H.E. Minister framed the environmental overhaul as a fundamental pillar of national development.

"Environment is life," the Minister stated. "To live well, we must unite to clean our 'home.' A clean environment ensures a healthy population and drives economic progress."

The initiative is a key component of the Ministry’s Circular Strategy on Environment, a policy directed by Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet to transition Cambodia toward a sustainable, carbon-neutral economy. 

H.E. Dr. Eang Sophalleth emphasised that the strategy begins with individual accountability and scales up to international-standard waste management.

The 10-year agreement further cements the "iron-clad" diplomatic ties between Cambodia and China. The Minister noted that the partnership reflects a growing technical synergy between the two nations, specifically in the field of environmental engineering.

Under the agreement, Mizuda Group Co., Ltd. will begin drafting strategic assessment plans to align Cambodia’s urban waste disposal with international hygiene standards.

Key objectives of the 10-year roadmap include: Upgrading provincial landfills to meet modern sanitation laws; Enhancing the recycling sector to transform waste into a revenue-generating industry; Implementing waste-to-energy technologies to bolster the national power grid.

The Ministry of Environment continues to push its "Clean, Green, and Sustainable" agenda, aiming to enhance Cambodia’s appeal for international investment and tourism through improved urban aesthetics and ecological health.

By K. Rithy Reak