The urban environmental management project, part of the Tonle Sap Basin Project, has been funded by a loan of nearly $22 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Pheng Sithy, governor of Battambang city, said that the plant is being constructed by MTA Construction, and will be completed in September 2023. The plant will be in Sangke district’s Norea commune.
Sithy said that the project will help to release wastewater in Battambang city and in some parts of Sangke district, as they struggle to do so during the rainy season.
“It always floods in Sangke district and Battambang city. We hope the plant will reduce floods, clear wastewater and treat dirty water that could be used or crops,” he said.
He added that the loan from ADB totals $21,717,622.97
Norea commune chief Sok Sambath said: “The villagers are happy with the project to develop their local area as they suffer from floods every year.”
According to the ADB, the loan will help improve urban environmental infrastructure in Battambang, Serei Saophoan, and Stung Sen, three provincial cities around the Tonle Sap Lake. “It will also improve the institutional effectiveness of stakeholders to provide sustainable services as well as support an improved policy and planning environment for urban drainage, wastewater and solid waste management.”
ADB said that rapid urbanisation has resulted in a significant environmental impact on the lake, including pollution. “While flooding is important for maintaining the basin’s ecosystem, severe flooding can cause damage to life and infrastructure and exacerbate pollution, as receding floodwaters leave accumulated solid and liquid waste. The basin’s urban areas are located next to rivers and are sensitive to climate change, with most experiencing flooding during the wet season.”
