UN Partners with Cambodia on $4 Million E-Waste Management Initiative

The United Nations Development Programme has teamed up with Cambodia's Ministry of Environment to launch a comprehensive electronic waste management project, supported by $4 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility.

Set to run between 2026 and 2031, the five-year initiative forms part of the broader Global Electronics Management programme, which seeks to address pollution and enhance resource efficiency throughout the electronics lifecycle across multiple nations.

According to the UNDP, the project will directly improve conditions for over 200,000 Cambodians by creating safer working environments and limiting their contact with dangerous waste materials.

With additional co-financing of roughly $26 million from Cambodia's government and private sector contributors, the program aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 27,000 tonnes. It will also ensure the proper handling and disposal of toxic materials including persistent organic pollutants and mercury, while preventing over 20,000 tonnes of harmful substances from contaminating the environment.

Cambodia joins Vietnam and Colombia as one of three nations where the UNDP is spearheading the implementation of the Global Electronics Management programme.

Enrico Gaveglia, UNDP's resident representative in Cambodia, highlighted the rapid transformation in electronic device usage across the country. He noted that Cambodia had approximately 24 million electronic devices in operation in 2024, creating an urgent need to develop modern systems for handling equipment that has reached the end of its lifecycle.

"Strengthening capacity and safeguards is essential to protect communities and workers from hazardous practices and toxic materials. This project advances the shift toward safer, more practical systems that safeguard public health while building the groundwork for a sustainable and resilient economy," Gaveglia explained.

Xiaofang Zhou, who oversees cooling systems, circular economy and pollution prevention at the UNDP, emphasized the dual nature of electronic waste, which contains both valuable resources and dangerous substances. This makes safe recovery and reuse particularly challenging.

"The key issue is extracting these materials for reuse without posing risks to the environment or human health," Zhou said. She pointed out that many electronics are not manufactured with material recovery as a priority, making disassembly and separation difficult.

"What's needed are more robust collection, dismantling and treatment infrastructures that can recover materials safely and efficiently, instead of losing them or managing them under hazardous conditions," she added.

Chuop Paris, secretary of state at the Environment Ministry, affirmed the ministry's dedication to transforming waste management from a traditional "take-make-dispose" approach to a circular economy model that prioritizes resource conservation, waste reduction and the protection of both human wellbeing and environmental quality.

Paris said the ministry is working through the Environmental Code and Natural Resources framework and the Environmental Circular Strategy 2023-2028, especially its "clean" component, to reinforce policies and regulations, increase accountability among producers and importers, foster innovation in recycling and resource recovery, and boost public awareness through outreach campaigns and community events.

Claude Gascon, acting CEO and chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, said the programme is helping countries address one of the most rapidly expanding pollution challenges.

"As electronic device use continues to expand, the environmental consequences will become increasingly unmanageable without effective systems in place," Gascon stated.

He noted that tackling electronic waste demands changes in market operations, alongside clearer policy frameworks and standards to enable safer and more sustainable practices.

"This initiative represents a crucial step in establishing that foundation in Cambodia," Gascon concluded.