•    H.E. Choup Paris, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environment,
•    H.E. Sum Thy, Director General of Policy and Strategy, Project Director
•    Representatives from Ministries, development partners, private sector, civil society,
•    Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning, Arun Sursdey

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this validation workshop to review the latest draft of the proposal “Building resilient livelihoods through nature-based solutions in the Tonle Sap Basin and Siem Reap/Phnom Kulen landscape.” I will take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed and shared insights and feedback so far. Your views count!

The Tonle Sap Basin, and in particular the Siem Reap and Phnom Kulen mountains, hold a special significance in the context of Cambodia's cultural, religious, and ecological heritage. This landscape is a vibrant ecosystem that supports rich flora and fauna and provides vital livelihoods and services to local communities and Siem Reap in general. It merits your attention for safeguarding it for present and future generations.

This event is a key milestone in the project's design. The project would address the environmental challenges faced by this rich ecosystem and facilitate access to funding from the Global Environment Facility to support national investments and the implementation of nature-based solutions and building climate resilience.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

The project constitutes a complementary effort to the GEF-8 Integrated Program on the conservation and restoration of forest ecosystems across the Tonle Sap Basin (TSB) with the overarching objective of building climate resilience of local communities through an integrated watershed management approach that also conserves the natural, religious and cultural heritage that forms the foundation of local communities’ wellbeing, prosperity and spirituality.

Today’s validation workshop is dedicated to the component supported under the Least Developed Countries Fund, focusing on “Building the resilience of local communities in the Tonle Sap Basin” against the increasing impacts of floods and droughts through five key components designed to strengthen:

i)    National and provincial land use planning and implementation capacities, 
ii)    Investment in integrated watershed management, restoration and conservation,
iii)    Resilient natural resource-based livelihoods, 
iv)    Knowledge, Research and Innovation, and 
v)    Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for being many here today to support and shape this effort. Your feedback and contributions will further strengthen the design and make the project more responsive to needs on the ground. Your insights will be instrumental in ensuring the interventions are effective and tailored to the unique context of the Tonle Sap Basin and Siem Reap/Phnom Kulen landscape.

As we embark on this journey together, let us reaffirm our joint commitment to sustainability, inclusiveness, and resilience. I am confident that our partnership will contribute to making the vision of a sustainable Cambodia that is in sync with nature, growth and the needs of the people a reality.

I wish you a fruitful discussion.

Som Arkun