A panoramic view of the Chong Khneas floating village on the Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap province in January, during a tour by the EU delegation. Ry Sochan
Siem Reap, one of six provinces bordering the Tonle Sap Lake, is receiving ongoing support from the EU Tonle Sap Conservation Project through the “Our Tonle Sap” project, which has been implemented for about three years.
The natural resources in the wetlands of the lake are interconnected between the six provinces, including Siem Reap, home to the Kingdom’s world-renowned Angkor Archaeological Park.
Siem Reap provincial deputy governor Ung Kim Leang said that of every 100 domestic and international tourists who visit Angkor Wat, about 80 of them will also take a trip on the Tonle Sap.
He explains that this underscores the value of the lake to Cambodia’s tourism industry, describing it as a “glorious” resource and noting the prosperity that tourism has brought to the communities on and around the lake.
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In late January, Kim Leang paid a visit to the province’s Prek Toal Ramsar site, located in Ek Phnom district’s Koh Chivaing commune. He accompanied EU ambassador to Cambodia Igor Driesmans, German ambassador to Cambodia Stefan Messerer and Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth on the trip.
“Due to joint conservation management by the EU, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment, this year we are seeing an increase in rare fish species. Despite lower water levels, the number of fish is growing,” he says.
“This is an important sign of progress, and partially the result of EU support in the past. I would like to thank you all very much for helping to support our protected areas. It is worth mentioning that the fisheries headquarters is supported by the EU and several development partners, together with other protected areas that are helping to help protect our fisheries. Our next step is to review the existing protected areas in Siem Reap in order to restore, protect and manage them more efficiently,” he adds.
Provincial measures
Kim Leang explains that in order to manage the wetlands’ natural resources sustainably, the provincial authorities have established three measures: They will collect statistics on people who use illegal fishing gear and educate them by having them sign contracts, revise some legal affairs in accordance with the resources of the province, and introduce other repressive measures.
During the visit, the delegation took a boat trip from Chong Khneas floating village in Siem Reap province to the Prek Toal Ramsar site, which covers an area of more than 20,000ha, and is home to more than 200 species of bird.
Kim Leang noted that due to financial, training and equipment support, the biodiversity of the Tonle Sap Lake area is protected, along with the unique flooded forest ecosystems that surround much of the lake.
“While we sailed through the fish sanctuary, we all saw fish jumping, indicating a healthy population. The people living along the river are also very active, suggesting that the local economy is in good shape. We have also observed many domestic and international tourists visiting the area. They contribute to providing opportunities for the local people to have prosperous lives,” he says.
He proposes that the EU cooperation be continued, and that a study be conducted on the consumption of fish by other species so the lake’s fisheries could be managed more precisely.
“Some of the animals that eat a lot of fish include birds, otters, snakes ... If we study overall consumption, we will be able to stabilise the lake’s biodiversity and make it more attractive to tourists,” he says.
The EU is supporting the $5.3 million “Our Tonle Sap Lake” project, which is scheduled to run for four years, from 2021 to 2024.
The EU describes its funding as “reaffirming its commitment to a balance between environmental conservation and community welfare in the Tonle Sap Lake area”.
EU ambassador Driesmans notes that the project works closely with a cohort of NGOs, led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia, to assist local communities and rangers to promote practices which ensure sustainable ecosystems and biodiversity.
EU-backed accomplishments
According to the EU, the project has supported regular SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) patrols by government rangers, providing financial and technical support to rangers from 11 government departments.
The project has also helped 21 local NGO and community-based forest guards to access SMART patrol technology.
In addition, it has assisted several community-based organisations to develop and implement community-based fire management plans, through regular fire patrols and the replanting of over 21,000 seedlings in burnt-out flooded forest areas.
It has also driven community-led replanting and assisted regeneration of flooded forests, with a total of 53ha planted with 12,316 saplings. Another 491ha is being managed for natural regeneration.
“Our Tonle Sap” has also expanded the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) programme for best agricultural practices in the Tonle Sap floodplain. At present, over 1,000 farming households are using the platform and selling their rice at a premium.
