FROM A VIRTUAL ghost town after decades of a destructive civil war, Cambodia's capital city has transformed itself into a pearl city.
City governor Khuong Sreng said Phnom Penh had transformed from almost an empty shell after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge in 1979 to become a thriving city now.
“Our city was destroyed during the decades of civil war. There was a road without people, and there were houses without people living in them,” he said.
“At that time there was also only rubble, which made Phnom Penh look like a ghost town.”
According to the Khmer Times, Sreng said that since then, the war ravaged capital grew rapidly and it was now the heart of Cambodia.
“Our city is known as the pearl city of Asia. In the last four decades after the civil war ended, our capital has developed much,” he added.
He pointed out the capital’s achievements during the International Association of Francophone Mayors conference attended by more than 400 delegates from 140 cities in 41 countries.
The 39th conference of AIMF carries the theme “Resilient Cities: Addressing Challenges and Reconstruction of Cities”.
The AIMF said the conference focuses specifically on large scale reconstruction issues in the aftermath of conflict or disaster.
A government lawmaker Mok Mareth said during the conference that after the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed in 1979, only 60 people were living in the capital.
“In the wake of the liberation day Jan 7, 1979, the day of the survival of the Cambodian people, Phnom Penh city resembled a ghost town.
“Piles of rubbish and dead bodies were present everywhere. The utilities were not operating, the sewage was clogged.”
City’s Municipal Council chief Pa Socheatevong said during the conference that its theme aptly described the condition of Phnom Penh, which saw no development during the civil war.
He said Phnom Penh had now transformed into a city thriving with development activities, was prosperous and populated by nearly three million people enjoying a decent lifestyle.
He said that in 2013, Cambodia stepped up its efforts to maximise its potentials and resources as it sought to transform itself to become a lower middle income economy by 2015 as planned by ensuring an average annual growth rate of seven to eight per cent.
“In 2015, Cambodia realised the plan by becoming a lower middle income country, enjoying an average seven per cent annual growth rate, with Phnom Penh playing an important role as a locomotive driving the economic growth,” he noted.
“Consistent with the global trend of rural-to-city migration, the economic growth enjoyed by the city prompted many people to migrate out of their homes in the rural areas to establish themselves in Phnom Penh by all means at their disposal,” he added.
He said public order issues, solid and liquid waste disposal and lack of infrastructures also needed to be enhanced in terms of scope.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Hun Sen, who met with several foreign delegates of the conference, said that Phnom Penh is facing four major challenges.
He said the current development had exposed four main challenges which were traffic congestion and accidents, lack of parking space, waste management, and wastewater treatment.