Cambodia is planning to build a £1.3 billion canal from the capital to the coast in a bid to transform the country and reduce reliance on its neighbours.
At a ceremony on 5 August, Prime Minister Hun Manet vowed the canal would be built no matter the cost, promoting “national prestige, the territorial integrity and the development of Cambodia.”
According to Hun Manet’s predecessor, Hun Sen, it would give Cambodia a “nose to breathe through” by allowing the country to independently export goods from factories along the Mekong without relying on Vietnam.
The major investment would connect the capital Phnom Penh to the Kep province on Cambodia’s southern coast, which is on the Gulf of Thailand.
It’s believed the major project would also reduce shipping costs to Cambodia’s only deep-sea port at Sihanoukville.
However, plans have come up against strong opposition with fears that the project could damage the Mekong River’s natural flood systems, worsen droughts and deprive farmers of vital silt for their lush rice paddies.
Vietnam accounts for 15 percent of global rice exports, equivalent to 8.3 million metric tons in 2023, the majority of which is grown in the Mekong Delta.
The river is also home to the world’s largest inland fishery which accounts for 15 percent of the global inland catch, worth over $11 billion (£8 billion) annually according to the nonprofit World Wildlife Fund.
The Mekong River Commission told The Associated Press all major projects “should be assessed for their potential transboundary impacts.”
President Hun Sen commented on X that there would be “no impact on the flow of the Mekong River.”
The canal is set to be built together by Cambodian companies and Chinese state-owned constructors China Road and Bridge Corporation.
