In August, 2017, the Royal Government of Cambodia has recently endorsed GGGI’s Green City Strategic Planning Methodology. The Methodology was one of the outputs of the Cambodia Green Urban Development Program (GUDP) Phase I, managed jointly by the National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). It has been conceived as a guide to provide Cambodian policy makers, at national and sub-national levels, with a road map to introduce and implement principles of sustainable and inclusive green growth in their urban development strategies.

Dr. Say Samal, Minister of Environment and Chair of the NCSD, said that the Methodology is a useful document and he encouraged government policy makers to make the best use of the methodology to develop a green city strategic plan for their respective cities, with support from the development partners, the private sector, and the academic community.

The Methodology is a step by step guide for Cambodia’s municipalities, district and commune officials, as well as national line ministries, seeking to embark on the process of transforming Cambodia’s cities towards greater sustainability and green growth. The Methodology is organized around ten key steps:

• Step 1: Establishment of the green city strategic planning governance arrangements
• Step 2: Baseline assessment of the urban context
• Step 3: Developing a green city shared vision, mission and urban development goals
• Step 4: Review of the key urban sectors for urban green growth
• Step 5: Establishing urban green growth priority objectives and actions for the key sectors
• Step 6: Identification of potential green city development projects
• Step 7: Prioritizing green city development projects
• Step 8: Envisaging urban green growth scenarios
• Step 9: Preparing the list of priority green city projects
• Step 10: Establishment of the implementation arrangements for the Green City Strategic Plan.

The Methodology was piloted successfully in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, which resulted in the draft the Phnom Penh Green City Strategic Plan 2017-2026. The Strategic Plan for Phnom Penh will support the implementation of the Phnom Penh’s Master Plan for Land Use 2035, Urban Transport Master Plan 2035, and Master Plan on Drainage and Sewerage Improvement in 2035.

Currently, the Methodology is being introduced to Cambodia’s secondary cities as part of the implementation of GUDP Phase II.