Addressing Cambodia’s Clean Water Infrastructure

Cambodia in the 21st century is an underdeveloped third-world nation that lacks the resources to address its economic problems. One of the principal problems is the lack of infrastructure for the delivery of clean, sanitary water. Lack of all types of infrastructure in Cambodia is the result of a series of unfortunate historical events—collateral damage from the Vietnam War, the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, and difficulties establishing a stable government, each of which contributed to Cambodia losing its academic, professional, and business classes. Now, a majority of its citizens are under the age of 24; the country lacks leaders and role models on which to base social, political, and economic development. One of the major problems that cuts across all three of these sectors is the absence of access to clean, sanitary water for personal, agricultural, and industrial uses due to underdeveloped infrastructure for the delivery of clean water. Factors that contribute to the problem are government inefficiency, lack of coordination in allocating government resources, and lack of expertise to address these issues. For Cambodia to improve its economy, it must address its infrastructure for the delivery of sanitary water.