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The country's first oil project has finally started pumping the black gold after 15 years of false starts. 
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The Asian nation has built up a bike building industry, but human rights concerns could put the brakes on growth.
Graham Watson's insight:
This BBC article looks at how human rights intersects with economic issues. Cambodia has started to develop a successful bike building industry; however, increasing levels of concern about the authoritarian nature of the government mean that it might struggle to continue to both attract foreign investment, as a result of the 'brand' being tainted.
It highlights the importance of ethical concerns in determining trade patterns and trade relationships, and, from a Cambodian perspective it also highlights how institutions are important in fostering development.
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As the EU threatens to end Cambodia's tariff-free status, textile workers fear it could lead to factory closures and job losses.
Graham Watson's insight:
An unusual angle on trade, with the news that the EU is putting pressure on Cambodia to increase political freedoms and show more respect for human rights, by threatening the country's current tariff-free status. That could have adverse implications for both development and the living standards of individuals.
Of course, we're still happy to buy our oil from the Middle East, however...
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In Cambodia, most domestic wastewater is left untreated with only 11% of households connected to a sewer network. Raising awareness on the importance of wastewater treatment among the country’s population is crucial, including among its children.
This effort is part of a water supply and sanitation project to increase access to piped water supply and improved sanitation services in selected towns and communes of Battambang.
Graham Watson's insight:
An appealing little World Bank clip that highlights the importance of access to clean water and sanitation services in enhancing the developmental outcomes of the poorest in Cambodia.
There are a number of spillover effects, not least on education, that mean that this sort of intervention is a vital part of fostering inclusive growth.
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Over the past 20 years, Cambodia has been one of the fastest-growing countries in the world. While growth has been pro-poor, to continue this transition Cambodia needs to diversify its economy and close the infrastructure gap and invest in people.
Graham Watson's insight:
This World Bank clip celebrates 25 years of partnership between the bank and Cambodia, and looks forward to the next five years. In doing so, it touches on all the main developmental themes: institutions, human capital, education, healthcare and so on.
A good introduction - or recap - of the multi-faceted nature of development.
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I didn't spot this first time around: however, it merits closer inspection. Will the discovery and exploitation of oil spark development in Cambodia?
Hmmm. Intuitively, you would think this would be a good thing. However, there's a lot of debate about this, with Paul Collier suggesting that the resource curse is one of four factors that contributes to a nation being part of the "Bottom Billion".
Equally, other nations have experienced so-called "Dutch Disease", where the exploitation of a natural resource has caused their currencies to appreciate, and in some cases it has damaged the competitiveness of their exporters, and hastened deindustrialisation in some sectors.
So, a mixed bag: it will be worth watching the Cambodian economy going forward.