The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Cambodia are working together to conserve the resources of Tonle Sap Great Lake while pursuing pro-poor development initiatives in the area, said ADB in a news release Friday.
ADB and the Cambodian government jointly held a forum in Phnom Penh this month to address the issue, said ADB.
"The forum helped build a stronger sense of ownership of the Initiative among a wide cross section of people involved in this important effort," said Arjun Goswami, ADB country director for Cambodia. "This is a vital step in the effort to restore the environment and improve the livelihood of communities in the Tonle Sap Great Lake."
The Tonle Sap, located north of Cambodia's capital, is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The ecosystem around the lake is a direct and irreplaceable source of livelihood for more than 1 million people, and an area of environmental biodiversity of global significance, said ADB.
The forum on the Tonle Sap Initiative, which ended on March 6, brought together more than 200 people from ADB, Cambodia, development partners and members of communities living on and around the lake.
Forum participants examined the challenges ahead to achieve equitable development of the Tonle Sap basin and discussed the policies and legal framework that will be needed.
"There is a risk that some of the poor and marginalized could be increasingly left behind," said Urooj Malik, director of the Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Division of ADB's Southeast Asia Department. "It is vital to involve them more in the process of formulating policies designed to improve their conditions."
A major need identified at the forum was for closer coordination of government policies, laws and regulations related to the Tonle Sap Basin, including "harmonization of those concerning natural resources management, zonation of land and water use, and infrastructure development such as roads, water and sanitation and irrigation," said ADB.
Source: Xinhua
ADB and the Cambodian government jointly held a forum in Phnom Penh this month to address the issue, said ADB.
"The forum helped build a stronger sense of ownership of the Initiative among a wide cross section of people involved in this important effort," said Arjun Goswami, ADB country director for Cambodia. "This is a vital step in the effort to restore the environment and improve the livelihood of communities in the Tonle Sap Great Lake."
The Tonle Sap, located north of Cambodia's capital, is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The ecosystem around the lake is a direct and irreplaceable source of livelihood for more than 1 million people, and an area of environmental biodiversity of global significance, said ADB.
The forum on the Tonle Sap Initiative, which ended on March 6, brought together more than 200 people from ADB, Cambodia, development partners and members of communities living on and around the lake.
Forum participants examined the challenges ahead to achieve equitable development of the Tonle Sap basin and discussed the policies and legal framework that will be needed.
"There is a risk that some of the poor and marginalized could be increasingly left behind," said Urooj Malik, director of the Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Division of ADB's Southeast Asia Department. "It is vital to involve them more in the process of formulating policies designed to improve their conditions."
A major need identified at the forum was for closer coordination of government policies, laws and regulations related to the Tonle Sap Basin, including "harmonization of those concerning natural resources management, zonation of land and water use, and infrastructure development such as roads, water and sanitation and irrigation," said ADB.
Source: Xinhua
5 comments:
Let's have a vision for all water resources, inland and at sea: turning them all into a giant fish lake to have enough fish for all Cambodians and their neighbours.
Let's remember when the French came, and when some of them rowed boats in Tontle Sap Lake, every oar they put in the water would hit fish. In the Khmer Rouge times, there were also plenty of fish about. Up to the early 1950s there was enough fish fat to be used for lighting (fish fat lamps). We had a slogan: where there is water, there is fish, and it was true.
We can materialise this vision by building fish hatcheries in suitable places in lakes and rivers, especially in rivers flowing into Tonle Sap Lake. After hatching, the fries would be released to the lakes and rivers. Along the coast, we can do fish/shrim/crab farming as well.
We can look after the environment and build green cooridors of fish spawning bushes around the lake and of trees further up to prevent erosion from rain water from the Dangrek mountain range and the Cadamom mountain range. We can promote the utilisation of natural fertilisers and ban the utilisation of pesticide in areas near to water resources. We can control the discharge of industrial wastes into them as well.
There is more and more to do.......
This is wealth creation. This is sustainable development.
To realise all this leaders must have visions, visions and visions.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Tonle Sap; oil; gas; gold; is a natural gift for Khmer people; Angkor Wat is a heritage from our Khmer founder Cambodia have everythings for our Khmer people, but only we need is a good leaders.
We must protect our Tonlo Sap, make sure that no more dirt is flow
into the lake. We have a belt road
Rt. 5,6 and 7 around Tonle Sap, government should have law to allowes people build house on other side of Tonle Sap. For a long term prevention.
Bati
BATI'S IDEAS IS GREAT. WE SHOULD
EXPAND OUR TONLE SAP LAKE BY BUILDING BELT ROAD AROUND THE LAKE
WHICH ALREADY EXIST, ARE ROUTE #5,6 & 7 AND THE LAND THAT ON THE LAKE SIDE SHOULD BELONG TO THE GOVERNMENT. ALSO THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO TAKE DIRTS
FROM THE LAKE FOR ANY PURPOSE, THAT WAY TO KEEP THE LAKE REMAIN
DEEPER HAVE MORE ROOM FISH TO REPRODUCE.
KEO RASMEY
Limit the size of fishes that can be catched. Prohibiting vendors who buy the whole small lakes around the great lake from farmers. They empty them then pick every single fishes including tiny ones. It takes years to grow these fishes in one lake, the entire greenery and environment of one lake was destroyed in a few days.
TONLE SAP LAKE IS A TREASURE OF THE PASS, PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. ALL KHMER ARE BENIFIT OF THIS GREAT LAKE, EVEN TODAY KHMER OVER SEA LOVE TO EAT FISH FROM TONLE SAP LAKE.
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