The International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) and the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration on May 19 inaugurated a sewage waste treatment plant in Kamboul district’s Phleung Chheh Rotes commune, on the outskirts of the capital.

The launch was attended by Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng and AIMF standing deputy secretary Arianna Ardesi. The ceremony came just days after Adeshi and Sreng signed partnership agreements on several additional projects at municipal hall.

“We also plan to strengthen emergency response preparedness,” Sreng said at the signing ceremony on May 16.

He noted that the development of Phnom Penh would have been far slower were it not for the support of France, through the AIMF.

“We have sought to understand the experiences of many other cities in the world and have used them to help Phnom Penh thrive,” he added.

The municipal administration said the AIMF visit had several purposes: To celebrate the achievements of previous projects, including the sewage treatment plant and a canal in Stung Meanchey district, and to hold the AIMF’s annual regional meeting.

It recalled that the AIMF established its Southeast Asia Regional Office at the Phnom Penh Municipal Hall in early 2020 and has provided financial and technical support for drawing up a strategic roadmap towards transforming Phnom Penh into a smart and sustainable city, from 2022-2025.

It said that the AIMF had signed a $155,000 package in order to contribute to enhancing the administration’s ability to carry out tasks related to urban flow management, sanitation and waste management, and flood preparedness.