Our Wash Hub

WASH Hub

Welcome to Oxfam in Cambodia’s WASH Hub – where innovation meets impact! Across the country, we’re tackling water and sanitation challenges head-on, bringing clean and safe water, improved sanitation, and life-changing hygiene solutions to communities in need. 

As part of Oxfam’s global WASH movement, our Cambodia team combines deep local expertise with cutting-edge approaches and strong partnerships to create lasting, meaningful change. And our work goes beyond immediate impact. Sustainability drives everything we do – because access to clean water must last long after the project wraps up. That’s why we champion community-led, resilient business models that keep water flowing for generations to come. From flood-affected villages to rural schools off the grid, we’re empowering communities with the tools, training, and technology they need to thrive – now and into the future.

 Dive in and discover how Oxfam in Cambodia is leading the way toward a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable future for all.

Oxfam Global Wash

Welcome to Oxfam's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene resource website, containing all our guidance, technical briefs, videos and templates on a range of WASH subjects.

Some of our most popular topics include solar powered water supply, hygiene kits, community engagement, safe programming, innovation, the community perception tracker, bulk water treatment, tiger worm toilets, Sani Tweaks, handwashing promotion, and IEC materials

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Inclusive National Social Protection Initiatives that Response to the Needs of Apparel Industry Employees (INSPIRE)

INCLUSIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION is critical to achieving gender equality and poverty reduction effort in Cambodia. Social protection has taken policy momentum in Cambodia. The Royal Government of Cambodia has recently initiated several social protection schemes, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in particular, which greatly benefit apparel industry employees. Through this scheme, NSSF reported that in 2020 alone a total of 80,000 female garment workers received maternity allowances from the government which accounted for USD$7.9 million. 

The National Social Protection Council (NSPC) also reported that approximately 300,000 female workers both in formal and informal sectors, who have given birth in the past four years, between January 2018 to March 2022 benefited from cash support which accounts for US$30.1 million. And at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia, workers who were laid-off also received support in the forms of cash-based transfer programmes. And a total of at least 560,000 households with an IDPoor card benefited from this scheme in 2020 alone. 

Building on these efforts to address social inequality, Oxfam in Cambodia, Laudes Foundation, and other four partners launched “Inclusive National Social Protection Initiatives that Respond to the Needs of Apparel Industry Employees” (INSPIRE) to support the Royal Government of Cambodia to strengthen inclusive social protection for apparel industry employees.

Oxfam and partners are committed to support the Royal Government of Cambodia to build and enhance inclusive social protection in the Kingdom. This endeavour will help to further leverage the NSSF and address the remaining barriers to social protection among apparel industry employees, particularly workers in sub-contracted factories. These include limited access to information about social protection schemes and benefits, lack of compliance amongst apparel industry employers, and the quality of services provided and available to apparel industry workers. 

Objective

The primary objective of INSPIRE is to contribute to poverty and inequality reduction efforts amongst apparel industry employees in Cambodia through the strengthening of an inclusive social protection system. This project will strategically contribute to positive improvement of coverages of and access to gender transformative social protection for apparel industry workers. INSPIRE aims to strengthen the capacity of trade unions to better represent and negotiate workers’ social protection needs and entitlements, and to influence social protection policy outcomes through their meaningful participation in multi-stakeholder dialogues and decision-making meetings at national level, tripartite dialogues, Social Protection for All Platform, and other Oxfam’s existing mechanism.

How it supports implementing and strategic partners? 

“Inclusive National Social Protection Initiatives that Respond to the Needs of Apparel Industry Employees” (INSPIRE) is a collaborative effort between Oxfam in Cambodia and Laudes Foundation along with four implementing partners. This endeavour will be jointly implemented by four local NGO and trade unions, such as Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC), Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU), and Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.CAWDU). 

We will also be working closely with several strategic partners, such as National Social Protection Council (NSPC), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT), Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF), Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), international brand companies and apparel industry employers, and other stakeholders to strengthen and safeguard inclusive social protection for apparel industry employees across the Kingdom.

The primary objective of INSPIRE is to contribute to poverty and inequality reduction efforts in Cambodia through the strengthening of an inclusive social protection system. This project will strategically contribute to positive improvement of coverage of and access to gender transformative social protection for apparel industryworkers. INSPIRE will strengthen the capacity of trade unions and workers to better represent and negotiate workers’ social protection needs and entitlements. They will also be supported to influence social protection policy outcomes through their meaningful participation in multi-stakeholder dialogues and decision-making meetings at national level, tripartite dialogues, Social Protection for All Platform, and other Oxfam’s existing mechanisms.

The intervention of this initiative will help Cambodia getting closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goals such as no poverty, good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and peace, justice, and strong institutions. 

How was this endeavour developed?

INSPIRE was developed by several consultation meetings and workshops with partners and representatives of apparel industry employees, trade unions and associations starting from April 2020 to the early March 2021. The consultation had adopted right based and participatory approaches to strengthen share ownership and responsibilities, local champion, and development. The concept note and project intervention were then consulted amongst local experts and those across Oxfam affiliates. More importantly, it was informed by a research study entitled, “Social Protection For The Apparel Industry in Cambodia: Gaps and Opportunities”, which was jointly commissioned by Oxfam in Cambodia and the Laudes Foundation. 

These have demonstrated Oxfam’s commitment to inclusiveness, participatory approach, and local ownership where communities and partners have a fair say and that their inputs were integrated into the project intervention, on top of research finding and recommendation. 

Outcomes

Expected results

This initiative will enable apparel industry workers across 14 provinces and municipalities to better access to social protections provision and coverage, information about social protections, including upholding service providers more accountable to their constituents. It will also support the Royal Government of Cambodia to integrate gender transformative social protection approach into its social protection policy intervention.

Through the intervention of this project, apparel industry workers, particularly those in sub-contracts and in informal arrangements, and their households will be able to reduce their vulnerability by having better access to NSSF provisions and coverages. This project is expected to benefit a total of 23,000 individuals directly and 735,000 indirectly. More importantly, it is anticipated that approximately 1,000,000 individuals will be sensitised by public awareness campaigns, policy brief and position papers, evidence-based research, and other communication activities of the project.


Funded by
Laudes Foundation

Implementing partners

Strategic partners 

Start-end-date  
20 December 2021- 31 March 2025
 

Key highlight 

Key media coverage

Op-ed

Launching of Oxfam and Laudes Foundation Initiative to Promote Inclusive Social Protection for Apparel Employees in Cambodia, 23 May 2022

Promoting Women Entrepreneurship in ASEAN through Social Protection and Family Care Policies, 7 September 2022

 

Impact SME

Impact Driven Enterprise presented their project idea on how it can empower women and youth as part of the Superstar Impact Business Pitching Competition in July 2022.

Context

Poverty remains pervasive specifically in the rural areas. 77% of Cambodia’s population lives in rural area, and 20% of the rural population (approx. 2.5 million people) is living below the national poverty line. Some other social and environmental challenges that the nation face include lack of access to safe water, food insecurity, malnutrition, deforestation, improper waste management and disposal and limited access to electricity.

I-SME aims to leverage the potential of SMEs to tackle these broader societal and environmental problems in Cambodia. SMEs are a vital driver to economic growth for Cambodia, accounting for 99.8% of companies, 58% of GDP and 70% of jobs creation (MISTI, 2018). They play a significant role in offering innovative and sustainable solutions for local economic development. In order to grow sustainably, SMEs need to overcome issues related to their organizational capacity, access to finance, investment readiness and the overall business ecosystem.

What is Impact Driven Enterprises?

We use the term ‘Impact Driven Enterprises’ (IDE) to refer to new forms of business organizations primarily seeking to maximize benefits for the society and environment. They use the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for decision making and action.

IDE do not aim to maximize profits for their shareholders but strive to tackle societal problems. They do not rely exclusively on donations to cover operational costs. The enterprise draws upon business techniques and approaches to generate the revenue streams needed to achieve financial self-sufficiency.

Most of the financial surplus of an IDE is reinvested for greater positive social and environmental impacts rather than distributed for private financial benefit.

Approach

Business Development Services

We dedicate a Team of Venture Builders to shadow IDE at early or growth stage by accompanying and supporting their transform to increase their ESG impact while strengthening their financial bottom line and supporting them to create a lean impact monitoring and measurement strategy. The Program brings a unique channel that directly connects IDE to new technologies or service providers, buyers, regional companies and organizations, and build relevant business linkages.

Access to Finance

We lead the end-to-end process to secure access to the patient capital that IDE need to scale their operations and positive impacts. We directly work from the onset with responsible investors/funds and financial actors to understand due diligence and performance metrics and match those with our IDE portfolio.

Overall Enabling Environment

We work closely with key actors to develop policy, regulatory and legal frameworks enabling the emergence of a solid policy framework and ecosystem strengthening the growth of IDE.

Target stakeholders

Stakeholders impacted by SMEs:

Land Governance

CONTEXT

Cambodia covers a total area of 181,035 km2 (of which water represents 2.5%) and its estimated population in July 2017 was about 16,204,486. 

Cambodia has a long history of land ownership. Prior to the French colonial period, all land in Cambodia belonged to the King. The notion of land ownership was introduced under the French Protectorate and was maintained in the post-independence era until the abolition of private property by the Khmer Rouge. The Paris Peace Agreement in 1991 ended Vietnamese occupation and established a market economy, leading to the restoration of private land ownership in the 1993 Constitution.

As the vast majority of Cambodians live in rural areas performing jobs as small-holding farmers, land is consider as the most crucial asset for the Cambodian poor and it serves as an important means for their food and income needs. After the 1990s, the increased market land value, and the increased population have led to increased competition for land, and resulted in land conflicts. Population growth was cited as a cause for landlessness, i.e. it led to smaller plot sizes in densely populated areas, but land grabbing was frequently cited as another significant cause, in which more powerful actors displace current, generally poor owner-cultivators in order to acquire valuable land. The economic land concession (ELC) initiative offered by the government of Cambodia to private companies provided a lot of negative implications, in particular, land grabbing.
 
Women have less of a voice in community and socio-political structures such as in village committees, commune councils, and even in civil society organisations. Gender-stereotypes, with men at the top of all decision making, remains deeply embedded in Khmer society and culture while women, especially women-head of householders incur the greatest impact and are most vulnerable when their land tenure security and access to land is denied. Most land is generally registered in the husband’s name only or requires both names but not the wife’s name, even if the family have lived in separation for a long time. 

Land Governance is one of thematic focuses of Oxfam in Cambodia’s Natural Resources Governance Program which aims at supporting women and men to realise their rights to take control of and gain benefits from Cambodia’s natural resources (land, water, extractives, forest and fishery) and secure sustainable livelihoods.

APPROACH

Oxfam is working with different stakeholders ranking from the government, development partners, private companies, and local and international organisations at all levels to inform, increase and empower the voices of small land-holder farmers to claim free access and control over their land and natural resources.

  • Evidence-Based Scientific Research 
  • Direct Engagement with Stakeholders 
  • Coalition Building and Networking 
  • Promote Gender Justice and Women Leadership in Land Governance 
  • Public Campaigning and Media Work  
  • Awareness Raising and Capacity Building 

Extractive Industries

CONTEXT


Source: Integrity Cambodia https://bit.ly/2MjmKZh

In 2017, there were two major extractive projects that were fast moving which include 1) Oil Block A agreement was signed that allow Kris Energy, Singaporean Listed Company, starts its construction for oil extraction with forecast to have Cambodia’s first oil drop by end of 2019, 2) Okvao’s Gold extraction project, a 130 million USD project owned by Renaissance, Australian Listed Company, is developing and seeking approval from Ministry of Environment for their EIA report, and negotiating mineral contract with Ministry of Mines and Energy. 

The above mentioned outlook will, to some extent, pressure on transparency of revenue management, and social and environmental accountability. These pressures require strategic alignment amongst CSOs to ensure and enhance its credible roles in monitor government, and mining companies transparency, social and environmental performances.

In response to the rapid increase of the investment in this sector and to ensure good governance and transparency of revenue which will secure benefit of majority of the poor, Oxfam in Cambodia will position its values added to increase synergy amongst CSOs and prepare CSOs’ readiness to be critical friend to government ministries and mining companies in Extractive Industries Governance Forum (EIGF). Oxfam in Cambodia continue to work along side with both conservation and development NGOs to identify and influence critical mining projects and key selected policies/laws.

APPROACH

Nurturing CSOs spaces in dialogues with policy makers and company representatives; 

  • mineral licensing processes, 
  • policy development and enforcement
  • EIA process

Establishing multi stakeholder engagement with government and mining companies by promoting  EITI principles with the newly established Extractive Industries Governance Forum; 

  • Provide technical and finance support to local partners; 
  • Develop and introduce tools, researches like checklist, App, and guidance note for local partner, governance institutions and company.
  • Research, and study and policy analysis

Fisher Folks Making Circular Economy Work For The Western Tonle Sap Lake (FOSTER)

CONTEXT

While the Tonle Sap (TS) Lake is one of the top four fishery production areas in the world and contributes to the majority of Cambodia’s freshwater fish production, the lake and its basin are under increasing pressure from climate change (CC), illegal over-exploitation of fisheries, deforestation, upstream dam-building etc, leading to high levels of poverty, food insecurity and environmental degradation, catastrophic health and education outcomes for women and children around the Tonle Sap Region. 
The CAPFISH/ Foster Project (Lot 1) supports the economic empowerment of members of community fisheries (CFis) in floating villages in the Tonle Sap through interventions to diversify their livelihood by creating income generation opportunities through community-led entrepreneurship and employment in ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy while also improving WASH, health and education outcomes. 

APPROACH

WASH - Fishing communities in the Tonie Sap have increased access to safe water supply, hygiene and sanitation services. To respond to the pressing need for clean drinking water and adequate sanitation among fishing communities living in the West Tonle Sap, Consortium partners WW and TS implements low-cost, sustainable sanitation solutions (HPods) and clean drinking water systems (Water Kiosks)- with interventions to promote behavioral change and uptake for school children. 
 

WASH MANAGEMENT - Strengthen waste management services: Building on its successful experience in Phatsanday, Oxfam partner FACT deploys innovative technology in delivering eco-waste management services in 5 communes of the target areas, where plastic, glass and kitchen waste, are converted into consumer products, organic fertilizer and construction material such as Eco-bricks.
 

EDUCATION - Vulnerable and poor girls and boys are provided with increased availability and accessibility to education to successfully transition through school. As such, School-feeding programs are implemented, transportation Solutions and scholarships are provided to support marginalized girls and boys who are at risk. Given that distance is one of the key barriers to school access, scholarships target those living more than 3 km from a secondary school. Children with special needs are a focus of the project in terms of screening and implementing inclusive classes. 
 

GREEN ECONOMY

Green Business Hubs established to oversee community businesses. The Hubs will us a sustainable and inclusive business model Known as P4 (Producer, Public, Private Partnerships) in Eco-Tourism, sustainable rice farming in compliance with the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP); fish processing compliant with market standards and horticulture handling, processing, and storage. Connected Solar microgrids provide access to sustainable energy with the objective of reducing HH dependency on firewood and charcoal. In addition to the Tonle Sap Eco-Tourism Network (TEN) market access will also be supported by a green floating market, established in Prey Chas commune Battambang to enable local communities to sell their products (NTFPs: handbags crafted from water hyacinths, honey, sustainably farmed rice and crops and processed and fermented fish etc.) to diversify their income from fishing which continues to be under pressure. 

Strategic partners

Implementing partners

Inclusive Water Governance/Inclusion Project - Phase 2 (IP2): Mekong Regional Water Governance Programme (2020 - 2024)

The Mekong and its tributaries are vital to the unique flow dynamics that support the productivity of agriculture and fisheries in the Mekong and Tonle Sap. Subsistence and larger-scale fishing on the Tonle Sap are also important to the domestic economy. The impacts of upstream development on the natural flow of the Mekong, and the flow-on effects for livelihoods, nutrition, and the economy, are therefore a significant concern. Upstream dams are already contributing to higher-than-normal flood levels in the wet season and water shortages in the dry season, poor water quality, and degradation of fisheries. Fisheries have been affected by changing river flows in the Mekong and Tonle Sap Lake, partly linked to the impacts of hydropower dams and other factors. There are limited opportunities and little consideration for affected communities and civil society organizations to provide inputs to make inclusive decisions of building hydropower projects.

The Inclusion Project - Phase 2 (2020 – 2024) works with vulnerable communities and civil society to ensure continued access to essential riverine aquatic resource and ecosystems services to sustain their livelihoods, health and well-being. The project is built upon the achievements, recommendations and priorities of the project partners, and strengthen civil society actor cooperation in Cambodia and at the regional level to influence decision- and policymakers.

Geographical areas

Mekong (Kratie, Stung Treng Provinces), 3S Region (Ratanakiri Province), Tonle Sap and National and Regional Level.

Goal

More sustainable livelihoods of communities through continued access to Mekong riverine resources and its ecosystems services.

Objective

More informed, transparent, and accountable water resource governance (WRG) and Renewable Energy (RE) infrastructure decision making in the Lower Mekong and its Tributaries

Outcomes

  • Increased capacity and voices of Mekong riverine community women leaders, youth, indigenous people in water resource governance decision making process
  • More cooperative and inclusive CSO enenagement in national and regional policy dialogues on Mekong Water Governance
  • More Sustainable Renewable Energy alteravtive policies adopted

Target and Beneficiaries

Affected communities (with a focus on vulnerable groups: women, indigenous people, people with disabilities); hydropower companies and RE companies; the media and the general public.

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