WaterAid: A WASH strong COVID-19 response

In this presentation, WaterAid shared their response to COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific, specifically in the eight countries they work in: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste. Given the changing dynamics of the pandemic, WaterAid has taken a context-specific and phased approach to support government-led action plans, depending on rate of transmission and lockdowns, and prioritizing the most marginalized groups.

Poch Sovanndy

Poch Sovanndy started working for Cambodia's Ministry of Planning in 1994. He was involved in the preparation of Cambodia's national development plans and its monitoring and evaluation. He is also the focal point for the SDG localization into the national context, working with ministries, development partners, and CSOs in Cambodia. In 2008, Poch was promoted as the Deputy Director-General of Planning for the Ministry of Planning and was also promoted as a Ministry advisor in January 2015.

Project Communications in Conflict Prevention

Stakeholders in Cambodia, Nepal, and Samoa who have been adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects mentioned communications or the lack of it as the main factor for their grievances. In these cases, simply providing information about the project was not enough. Communication processes needed to be tailored to respond to the needs of stakeholders to bring out critical issues for dialogue and resolution—especially for projects consisting of multiple players with diverse interests.

Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Cambodia

The lack of clean water has become a major problem for many rural people, especially in Cambodia, where rural households reach 2.5 million and total rural population number more than 11.5 million. More than half of the rural population practice open defecation and walk long distances to access water. Through a strategic and long-term partnership with ADB, Cambodia has gained ground in its efforts to provide improved access to water and sanitation.