PHNOM PENH: The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) has chosen three ASEAN countries, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Vang Vieng, Laos, and Dalat, Vietnam, as pilot cities for sustainable solid waste management.

The implemented project was made during a meeting at the Provincial Hall on October 4, 2022, in the presence of Mr. Yun Linne, Deputy Governor of Siem Reap, and Mr. Frank Jattke, Director of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), with representatives from the Ministry of Environment and relevant departments.

Mr. Yun Linne stated that the total waste for solid waste has increased to 160 million tons per year since 2006. As the number of tourists increased following the onset of Covid-19 disease, so did the problem of solid and liquid waste.

Mr. Yun Linne thanked the German Agency for International Cooperation for selecting Siem Reap as a solid waste management pilot city and for supporting the implementation of sustainable waste management in medium-sized tourism cities.

According to Frank Jattke, the project aims to improve the quality of the environment in medium-sized tourist cities throughout the ASEAN region by increasing the capacity for final waste storage and recycling. The project also helps ASEAN achieve the goals outlined in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Master Plan 2025.