Water management and artificial intelligence to ensure the sustainability of the city of Angkor

In Cambodia, the famous Angkor temples are built on layers of sand. The development of mass tourism and the increase in the population living in the vicinity of Siem Reap have increased the stress on the water table, a phenomenon that must be compensated for in order to maintain the efficiency of the irrigation system designed at the same time as the temples.

The region has also suffered disastrous flooding events, particularly in 2012 and 2013, which have shown the importance of this water network in terms of both access to water for the people and the stability of the site's monuments.

Apsara, the Cambodian organization that manages the territory in which this UNESCO World Heritage site is located, has asked several international actors to rehabilitate the network. An initial project led Veolia Water, the Veolia Foundation and the Syndicat Intercommunal d'Assainissement de la Vallée de la Bièvre (SIAVB) to finance a feasibility study to consider how to adapt the remote management and flood control system that was initially developed for the Bièvre valley. This program, named Pageera, led to the installation of an efficient flood water control and water resource regulation solution for the supply of water to the population.

In 2019, a programme called "Sagera" (which in French stands for "Water Management Assistance System for the Angkor Region") run by the Association pour la Cité Hydraulique d'Angkor (Acha) should make it possible to move into the new phase.

Convinced of the merits of the French approach to water management, Apsara intends to set up a comprehensive management system throughout its territory. The project consists of installing a network of sensors and a water management system covering 400 km², replenishing water tables, improving access to water and sanitation for neighbouring populations and facilitating the development of market gardening.

The Veolia Foundation is at the crossroads of human development and the protection of cultural heritage.