Summary
This project will provide a reliable source of clean water to over 4,000 students and teachers at Kampong Tralach Secondary School, Hun Sen Kampong Tralach High School and Salalek 5 Primary School.
Background
In Cambodia, the lack of access to safe drinking water poses a serious threat to the lives of millions. Civil war has left water distribution systems damaged, while a rapidly growing population and the increasing impact of climate change are exacerbating the water shortage crisis. People living in remote areas generally have less access to clean water than those living in urban areas, and in some of these regions the situation is dire.
Roughly 40 percent of secondary schools in Cambodia have no proper drinking water facilities, and the vast majority of schools in remote areas have no access to water fit for consumption. The government cannot afford to build water systems for the schools. Because access to safe water at school has been shown to have a positive impact on academic performance, as well as contributing to the establishment of good hygiene and sanitation practices, increased investment in these essential facilities yields multiple dividends.
The Hun Sen Kampong Tralach High School and Kampong Tralach Secondary Schools were built by the government in 1999, and accommodate up to 3220 students and 74 teachers. The Salalek 5 Primary School was built by the government in 1979 with further additions in 1998 and accommodates 817 students and 22 teachers. Located in Kompang Chnnang, one of the country’s poorest provinces, these schools have no source of safe drinking water for students.
The goal of the EMW project is to set up a solar-powered UV (ultraviolet) system to provide clean water to the school, in order to decrease the incidence of water-borne diseases among the students.
The proposed project will implement the type of UV water systems that have already improved the lives of thousands of students in Vietnam and Cambodia.