In 2008, GWP’s Basin Functional Water Partnership (BFWP) secured the agreement of the Royal Government of Cambodia, through the Cambodia National Mekong Committee and the Provincial Governor of Kratie, to lay a foundation for IWRM reform in the four sub-basins of the Mekong River in Cambodia. The BFWP is jointly funded by GWP and the Asian Development Bank. The agreement was achieved by setting up, in 2007, a Basin Coordinating Committee for Development (BCCD) covering two of the shared basin provinces of Kratie and Mondulkiri. GWP Cambodia played an important role in the establishment of the BCCD by organising a series of multi-stakeholder dialogues on an integrated approach to water resources in 2007. It first organised a National Workshop on IWRM Awareness and Planning in Kampong Cham province, co-sponsored by GWP and Cap-Net/AguaJaring. This workshop exchanged knowledge, experiences and best practices on water resources development and management, and the application of IWRM in Cambodia, especially in the pilot project areas of Kratie and Mondulkiri. This was followed by basin level workshops and activities targeting a range of stakeholders. The BCCD is an important institutional development for promoting an integrated approach in the sub-basins of the Mekong River. It coordinates the development, management and protection of the basins, providing guidance to the provincial development committees, and overseeing the implementation of the Law on Water Resources Management in Cambodia. Even though Cambodia introduced IWRM through this water law in 2007, there was no application of best practice at the basin level. Some agencies resisted this initiative at first, but after training on the subject, became strong supporters. BCCD is expected to play significant role in Cambodia’s roadmap for IWRM implementation.
