Behaviour change and marketing campaigns in 6 cities along the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers 

Context

Cambodia is undergoing rapid development, with an estimated annual economic growth of 5.5 to 6% and GDP growth of 5.5 to 6% in 2024, coupled with an urbanising population (almost 1% per year), leading to a demand for improved and modernised public services. Water access has been the priority for many years, but urban sanitation and solid waste management (SWM) are close behind and are developing rapidly, with major efforts funded by ADB, AFD, JICA and others, mainly in provincial capitals and key corridor cities. These projects primarily support infrastructure development for collection systems, safe disposal of solid waste, wastewater treatment and faecal sludge treatment, which require significant technical assistance for organisation, planning and supporting policies to ensure formalisation and sustainability. 

Two projects in particular, the Second Urban Environmental Management in the Tonle Sap Basin Project (TS2) and the Fourth Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Corridor Towns Development Project (GMS CTDP4), are overseeing the design and construction of new landfills and wastewater treatment facilities in six cities: Battambang, Serei Saophoan, and Stung Saen under TS2 and Kratie, Kampong Cham, and Stung Treng under CTDP4. 

The TS2 and CTDP4 IEC project in brief 

The project aims to make the most of the newly built infrastructure by helping households understand and take advantage of the services it provides. It consists of two parts: a behaviour change campaign and a marketing campaign for the sewerage connection and solid waste collection services. 

Project Objectives 

• Promote fee-based subscription by households to connect to sewer systems. 
• Increase payment of regular tariffs for sanitation and waste collection services. 
• Increase knowledge and availability of feedback mechanisms. 

Key Project Figures

• 364 village chiefs and deputy village chiefs trained on sanitation and SWM. 
• 81 schools with teachers trained on SWM and menstrual hygiene. 
• 6 sale agents working closely with constructors to promote sewerage connections and solid waste collection. 
• 27 health centers equipped with waste bins and trained on SWM. 
• 3 pilot projects on flood resilience. 

Expected results 

• The local authorities are able to answer inhabitants’ questions and are actively involved in promoting the services. 
• The pupils of the targeted schools are aware of solid waste issues. 
• The female students of the targeted schools benefit from a menstruation-friendly environment at school and can safely dispose their sanitary waste. 
• The inhabitants are aware of, want to connect to, and are willing to pay for sewerage and solid waste collection services. 
• Patients in Health Centres have the means to dispose of their waste safely and are aware of solid waste issues. 
• The local authorities are aware of the importance of feedback mechanisms and have the necessary knowledge to set up and manage them. 
• Inhabitants make a clear link between solid waste management, sanitation and flood resilience.