Background Following the Paris Peace Accord of 1991, hundreds of thousands of refugees moved into the province of Battambang and then into Banteay Meanchey and other areas. The thirty-year period of war and civil strife has left the country's infrastructure in disrepair, with secondary roads in constant need of repair, and main arterial roads in need of upgrading. Poorly designed irrigation structures have broken down, leaving most farmers dependent on rainfall for their crops. In addition, crop loss due to drought and flood has become common. Only a small percentage of the population has access to reliable water for domestic use.
Schools are in a state of disrepair with leaky roofs and flooded classrooms during the rainy season.
The greatest concern is the effect of the war on human resources and institutions, the economy, society, culture, religion, and the sense of community. These events have had an enormous influence on the process of development. This project is considered an experiment in decentralized planning and financing of participatory rural development. It is an experiment in restructuring local government institutions, building their capacity, and strengthening civil society, while at the same time building infrastructure. It has attempted to reinvent a local government process and deliver vitally needed infrastructure development at the same.