Phnom Penh: Japan has agreed to help make Siem Reap a “smart city”. The request was made by Siem Reap provincial governor, Tea Seiha, and has been accepted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA. Making Siem Reap “smart” forms part of the ASEAN Smart Cities Association plan of 2018. JICA has been researching two city projects for Siem Reap over the past year: Smart City Data Collection and a CCTV system.

Agreement on a way forward was made at a meeting on Monday hosted by the Siem Reap Provincial Administration, co-organized by JICA and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. In line with the approved request from Siem Reap, the Japanese Ministry will now broaden its research by sending a team to study the development of the “smart city infrastructure”. Siem Reap governor, Tea Seiha, says this will happen immediately, despite the ongoing community outbreak of Covid-19.

ASEAN is developing “smart cities” across the region. Cambodia’s priorities are Phnom Penh, Battambang and Siem Reap, which have all been identified as part of ASEAN’s “smart cities network” for 2021. According to the 2020 Smart City Index, compiled by the Institute for Management Development, smart cities are defined by their citizens’ perceptions of the impact technology has on their quality of life. They deliver digitally-based public services and focus on improved transport and logistics, as well as environmental protection and sustainable socio-economic development.