(Phnom Penh): In Northwest Cambodia, a quiet transformation is underway. Rural communities stand as testaments to resilience and renewal, thanks to the collaborative energy and insight from “Peace Village” Initiative backed by USD20 million in Korean government grant aid program managed by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Peace Village Initiative

Under the auspices of the Korean government, the Peace Village Initiative includes dual projects focused on Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, and Palin-three main provinces in Northwest Cambodia. Launched in 2021, the first project focuses on mine clearance and victim assistance in partnership with the Cambodia Mine Action Authority (CMAA), making land safe for habitation and cultivation. The second, begun in 2022 with the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), simultaneously undertakes comprehensive rural infrastructure improvements, agricultural income-generation, and community capacity
building.

Peace-Development Nexus: An effective methodology

This Korean government’s initiative adopts “Peace-Development Nexus” methodology, which recognizes that lasting peace is inseparable from prosperity, community empowerment, and effective local governance. Here are the three main pillars of philosophy of the initiative:
• Horizontal Integration: Mine clearance and hazardous land reclamation are seamlessly combined with the rollout of vital infrastructure. Irrigation systems and roads quickly follow demining operations, making safe land immediately available for productive use. Community water purification facilities, pre-schools, and health centers bridge urgent needs and long-term opportunity—ensuring that safety catalyzes growth, which in turn deepens stability.
• Vertical Integration: A progress must be made in parallel by investment in people and institutions. KOICA’s approach strengthens local capacity through targeted training in village governance, village-driven project management, and community’s financial literacy. The establishment of water management committees, community boards, and Village Development Committees (VDCs) turns residents into owners of their development. These structures are the backbone of accountability and sustainability, enabling communities to chart their own course beyond external support.
• Community-Led Approach: The project’s success hinges on active local participation. KOICA facilitates collaborative needs and capacity assessments with residents, shaping village-driven intervention. To this end, from the need identification to implementation, villages are able to find their needs and conduct their own project on their own, thereby promoting their ownership, collective responsibility and robust social cohesion.

Visible Change: Rural Infrastructure, Livelihoods, Social Wellbeing, and Business Environment.

The impact of this integrated model has made tangible changes that local residents can truly feel. Here are the cases of the achievements this model has created:
• Safer Habitation and Access: Demined fields have opened thousands of hectares for farming and settlement. Upgraded roads and irrigation have linked isolated villages to district centers and markets, reducing travel time and improving daily life for thousands of families.
• Improved Health and Hygiene: The construction of new health centers, like that in Malai district, has brought basic medical services within reach and ensured a stable supply of safe drinking water—improving wellbeing and reducing vulnerability.
• Improved Agricultural Extension: KOICA’s collaboration with technical partners such as READA, a Siem Reap-based local NGO, has brought advanced farming methods to even the smallest producers. Training covers drip irrigation, integrated pest management, harvest handling, and market access. Producer cooperatives, reinforced by contract farming arrangements and new collecting centers, now allow smallholders to access broader markets, raise household incomes, and develop resilient agricultural economies. One local farmer shared, “Here, we have land, new tools, and a united community. The agricultural training allows us to earn and learn, and we are stronger together than ever before.”
• Strengthened Industry-Academia Partnership: KOICA’s support for local universities such as National University of Battambang (NUBB) and National Banteay Meanchey University through research capacity building has been triggering an active collaboration between agroindustry and academia. A good example is the universities’ in-depth research on how CamGAP, Cambodia's national food safety assurance system for agriculture, has been effective for smallholder local farmers.
• Encouraging Local Startups: By participating in a joint fund for startup incubation in agrobusiness with NUBB and Khmer Enterprise, a number of teams of students have received opportunities to present their business idea. In addition, a study tour to KOICA-supported agricultural project sites was organized for the award recipients, providing them with a unique opportunity to observe firsthand the growth and development processes of real startups in action

Empowerment and Social Cohesion

A key to Peace Village’s effectiveness lies in its focus on social capital and local leadership. Elected community representatives oversee land allocation, infrastructure maintenance, and the resolution of local disputes. Regular capacity-building seminars give these committees the tools to manage complex challenges, ensure inclusion, and plan for future growth. Importantly, these models help keep families together and empower youth and women, further strengthening the social fabric.

KOICA Cambodia Office Country Director, Choi Moon Jung, described the initiative as “a foundation for community resilience and lasting progress. By linking peace, development, and empowered local governance, we enable villages to move confidently toward a brighter future.”

Impact in Numbers
• 63 square kilometers of mine hazard land in northwest Cambodia have been cleared and converted into productive farmland for over 200,000 residents
• 515 victims of mine attack receiving vocational training, and 827 victims of mine attack suffering from phantom limb pain receiving mirror therapy
• More than 2,400 households across 30 selected villages have received direct support for income generation and improved infrastructure.
• Organize 100 rounds of multi-stake holder meetup of farmers, middlemen, distributors, and retailers.
• Support 600 times of water quality inspection by Provincial Department of Rural Development (PDRD)

Conclusion: A new rural development model

Korean government’s comprehensive support in northwestern Cambodia has laid the groundwork for setting up a model of rural community development. MRD’s recent announcement of its nationwide policy of “Model Village” stems from the achievement of this initiative. As the initiative draws to a close by 2026, timely policy support from the Cambodian government can serve as a catalyst for rural development across Cambodia.
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