Cambodia on Monday officially launched here a South-South Cooperation project on climate-resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) with support from China and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"This initiative reaffirms a shared commitment to ensuring that the most vulnerable communities have access to clean, safe, and climate-resilient water and sanitation services, mitigating the increasing threats posed by climate change," said a press release by the Cambodian Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI) after the event.

Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation Hem Vanndy said Cambodia has made significant progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals 6.1 and 6.2.

"These goals commit us to ensuring universal and equitable access to safe, affordable drinking water, as well as adequate sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030, while prioritizing the needs of women, girls, and vulnerable populations," he said.

Under the scope of this cooperation, three Cambodian ministries, namely MISTI, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Public Works and Transport, are directly involved and will benefit from the program's technical and financial support from China's Ministry of Water Resources and UNICEF China, the press release said.

It added that under the cooperation, a comprehensive multi-year plan has been developed, which includes enhancing water quality and sanitation in schools and communities, implementing solar-powered and gravity-fed water systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the press release, approximately four million Cambodians rely on water supply and sanitation services that are increasingly at risk due to frequent drought, floods and other extreme weather events.