World Bank Allocates US$35 Million for Climate-Resilient Road Project in Cambodia

• 25 March 2024
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The World Bank has greenlit an additional US$35 million credit to fortify road infrastructure against climate change impacts in three Cambodian provinces, as announced in a recent press release. This allocation, approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on 15 March, supplements the ongoing Cambodia Road Connectivity Improvement Project (RCIP), aimed at enhancing access to markets, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions across Kratie, Kampong Cham, and Tbaung Khmum provinces.

These provinces, collectively home to over 2 million people, predominantly residing in rural areas, stand to benefit from upgraded road networks designed to withstand climate-related challenges. The RCIP targets regions identified by the World Bank’s Country Climate and Development Report for Cambodia as highly vulnerable to climate risks, with insufficient pavement coverage and inadequate floodwater management.

The injection of additional financing addresses escalated project costs, primarily attributed to inflation and price hikes in essential inputs such as fuel and bitumen.

“Access to health and school facilities and moving goods to markets, in particular during the rainy season, has posed great challenges for Cambodian people in rural areas,”  said Maryam Salim, World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia.

She further emphasised, “Also, poor road conditions, disruptions caused by floods, and high transportation costs are major impediments to access to health care and emergency care for expectant mothers.”

Through collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Rural Development, the RCIP not only focuses on physical infrastructure enhancements but also encompasses institutional capacity-building initiatives. These include the formulation of a robust rural road financing strategy, integration of gender-responsive approaches, and the implementation of performance-based contracts to ensure long-term infrastructure sustainability.

Since its approval in July 2020 with an initial funding of US$100 million, the RCIP has made substantial progress in road rehabilitation efforts, covering 130km of national and provincial roads, as well as 142km out of the 270km targeted rural roads. This ongoing endeavour underscores the World Bank’s commitment to fostering climate resilience and fostering socio-economic development in Cambodia.

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