PHNOM PENH: According to an official statement released on Thursday, the World Bank has approved $169 million in fresh financing for Cambodia to boost its disaster risk management.

The project will help rebuild roads and bridges in flood-affected areas and increase the government's ability to respond to climatic disasters.  "It will help about 5.5 million residents in seven provinces, 52 percent of whom are women, as well as anyone who utilises the highways," World Bank said.

The project will also teach government employees in disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and post-disaster needs assessment, primarily at the Ministry of Rural Development.

Cambodia's rural infrastructure is very sensitive by a range of severe climate change impacts, including floods and droughts, and the country's rural infrastructure is highly vulnerable to climate disaster risks, World Bank country manager Maryam Salim remarked.

"This initiative will ensure that rural infrastructure remains robust and resilient to climate change, and that vulnerable community are safeguarded from disaster shocks," she said. Rural roads are vital to the day-to-day lives of rural communities, and damage to crucial road segments can jeopardise rural households' livelihoods and limit access to fundamental amenities like markets, schools, and hospitals, World Bank country manager Maryam Salim said.

Extensive flooding in 2020highlighted Cambodia's need for continuous investment in disaster risk management and the vulnerability of vital infrastructure, the statement reads.

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