Promoting Clean Water Practices in Tonle Sap Lake Region, Cambodia
Keywords:
clean water, Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, WASH interventions, water treatment, community healthAbstract
Access to clean water remains a critical public health challenge in the Tonle Sap Lake region of Cambodia, where approximately 1.2 million people inhabit floating villages and lakeside communities dependent on lake resources for livelihoods and daily water needs. This study examines strategies, barriers, and outcomes associated with promoting clean water practices in this unique ecological and social context characterized by seasonal flooding, poverty, and limited infrastructure. Through systematic analysis of recent scholarship, this research explores multidimensional approaches including household water treatment technologies, community-led total sanitation initiatives, behavior change communication, and integrated water resource management frameworks. The findings reveal that while technological interventions such as ceramic filters and chlorination have demonstrated efficacy, sustained adoption depends on addressing sociocultural beliefs, economic constraints, and governance challenges. Successful clean water promotion requires participatory approaches that integrate local knowledge, strengthen community ownership, ensure affordability and accessibility, and coordinate across health, environment, and education sectors. This study contributes to understanding context-specific factors influencing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions in flood-prone, resource-dependent communities, offering insights applicable to similar settings across Southeast Asia and beyond.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Sokha Lim, Dara Chhim, Meung Kehn Chuang Halai, Fung Chua Sanghai (Author)
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