Sihanoukville Preps Up for 2008 PNLG Forum on Water Management

Sihanoukville, Cambodia — The Municipality of Sihanoukville in Cambodia is poised to host the 2008 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) Forum on 19-21 November at the Sokha Beach Hotel. The Forum will discuss critical issues on "Water Resource Protection, Utilization and Management" and will convene more than 80 local executives and technical staff from nine PEMSEA participating countries. It will also be a venue for the directors and staff of the Project Management Offices in ICM sites to discuss the proposed highlights and activities for the next three years of ICM program implementation.

 

"As a local government member, we are 100-percent committed to the PNLG, which is why, after a series of discussions with various agencies and the Ministry of Interior, we have decided to host this year's Forum. It is also a way for us to get people to know more about Sihanoukville," says PMO Director and Second Vice Governor, Prak Sihara."You know, a lot of people don't even know where Sihanoukville is. We don't have the usual tourist destinations like those in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but we hope that the PNLG participants can take a break from the usual hustle bustle of the city and just relax," added Mr. Prak Visal, Project Manager for the Sihanoukville ICM Office.For the host Municipality, the event is also hoped to raise awareness among coastal municipalities and local partners on potential water management issues arising from unmitigated urban expansion, and possibly encourage the coastal municipalities to implement integrated coastal management in their respective municipalities.Recalling the response from local officials when asked about water management in 2007, local executives were then certain that this will not be a major concern for the coastal municipality. In recent years, however, Sihanoukville's landscape has undergone a dramatic change with the construction of hotels, industries, residential buildings and other tourist establishments. When asked of the same question now, Mr. Prak Visal does not hesitate to air what could be a common concern among PNLG members, "Sure, it is a problem now, especially water quality and supply."This year's participants are eyeing the Forum to provide them with the needed guidance and advice to address, if not prevent, potential problems on water use and management. The Xiamen Municipal Government serves as the secretariat for the PNLG, with the PEMSEA Resource Facility providing technical guidance.