Phnom Penh, January 15, 2026 — The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI), UNICEF and UNCDF today reviewed and agreed key governance arrangements for the Water Infrastructure & Smart Energy in Cambodia (WISE) Joint Programme, a revolving blended-finance facility designed around local financing institutions to accelerate progress of Cambodia’s SDGs through financing climate-resilient water infrastructure.

UNICEF Representative Dr. Will Parks said the programme has been years in the making and is designed to mobilize private sector financing alongside concessional resources and capacity building for Private Water Operators (PWOs).

“The journey has been a long one, but it’s the first ever revolving blended finance mechanism for the water supply sector,” he said.

Currently, PWOs are serving over 3.5 million people but facing barriers such as high cost of capital, short loan tenors, and limited technical capacity.

The WISE facility blends commercial financing with concessional capital to lower lending rates, backed by technical assistance for PWOs and financial institutions and stronger use of credit guarantees through the Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia.

Minister Hem Vanndy stressed that the steering committee should remain strategic—keeping implementation “light and agile”—while ensuring alignment with MISTI priorities and effective coordination with key stakeholders.

“From the beginning, we wanted this program to be a win-win for the government, the provate sector and especially the people,” he said, citing the need to bring technical, financial and technology support to strengthen service delivery.

The WISE Joint Programme targets supporting at least 30 PWOs to invest in renewable-powered infrastructure and digital water management systems, under a national steering committee aligned with Cambodia’s national plans.

By: The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI)