 |
| Angkor Wat ... two million tourists visit each year. |
Ben Doherty
The Sydney Morning Herald
SIEM REAP, Cambodia: The five-star hotels around the ancient temples of Angkor are oases of green - sleek new buildings ringed by tropical forests and sprawling lawns.
But the water used to keep them so is being sucked from groundwater under the nearby city of Siem Reap, threatening the stability of the centuries-old World Heritage-listed landmark.
The widespread, unregulated pumping of groundwater throughout Siem Reap has raised concerns that the temples, including the world's largest religious monument, Angkor Wat, could crack or crumble if too much water is drained away.
The temples and towers of the 400-square-kilometre Angkor site sit on a base of sand, kept firm by a constant supply of groundwater that rises and falls with the seasons, but which is now being used to supply a burgeoning city.
With the number of visitors approaching 2 million a year, increasing pressure is being put on the scarce water resource. Thousands of illegal private pumps have been sunk across the city, pulling millions of litres of water from the ground each day.
UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, says that no one knows just how much water is being drawn from the ground, or how much can be taken safely.
Water is a precious commodity in Siem Reap, particularly during the dry season, when tourist numbers are highest. And the population of the city, barely five kilometres from Angkor Wat, has doubled in a little more than a decade to about 200,000.
The government-run Siem Reap water supply authority has the capacity to pump nine megalitres of water a day from underground, its director general, Som Kunthea, said.
But Mr Som estimates the city, even at its current size, is already using more than 50 megalitres daily. Authorities believe there are more than 6000 private pumps and 1000 wells sunk across the city.
The deputy director of water management for the Cambodian government's Angkor conservation body, Peou Hang, said the pumping was unregulated and almost impossible to police.
The Cambodian government has commissioned the Japanese government development agency JICA to investigate future water options for Siem Reap.
Its report, now in draft stage and to be completed by the end of the year, is likely to recommend regulating the pumping of groundwater as well as bringing water from other sources, including Tonle Sap, a lake 20 kilometres south of Siem Reap, an option that Mr Som would ''cost a lot and make water more expensive''.
Mr Som said the government's water authority does not have the capacity to supply all of Siem Reap with drinking water.
''Right now, there is no sign of impact on the temples,'' he said. ''But if we don't move now … if we keep letting people pump water and the population continues to increase, it will have an impact.''
17 comments:
cambodia should seek technological assistance from the west to put water treatment and usage in all homes in the cities all across cambodia. as the population grow and more demands, the ground will soon give way or sink if they don't do something to look for other alternative sources of water for consumption and general usage, etc... i always wonder how the western countries bring water to homes in their countries. cambodia should study from america, japan, australia, the eu, etc on how to bring water to homes, businesses, etc in cities all over cambodia. limit the dependence on nature too much, you know! be curious, learn from the western countries as they are good with modern conveniences and modern technology, etc make life easier for their people and country. please learn from them, cambodia.
if cambodia don't start doing something about this now, in the long run, the ground at angkor will sink, etc... please look for better way to improve life. don't blame on development, instead, focus more on improving the water resource for consumption and other usages as well! look for way to progress beyond too much dependence on wells to save money or whatever!
All of big hotels in SiamRiap are pumping underground water and soon Angkorwat will fall down because of that.
Those hotels must pump water from Tonlesap instead.
Ah Kwack look for some one to invest in water system than your 555m buildind on muddy island!!!
Turn away from Angkor to PhnomPenh Hanoi street what are Khmer people thought or ignored the facts that Yuon is controlling Hun Sen and has power do anything as they wishes and Khmer done nothing to prevent street name changed what happen if Youn change Phnom Penh to Nam Vang in the world map. What are Khmer people do to stop it?
Turn away from Angkor to PhnomPenh Hanoi street what are Khmer people thought or ignored the facts that Yuon is controlling Hun Sen and has power do anything as they wishes and Khmer done nothing to prevent street name changed what happen if Youn change Phnom Penh to Nam Vang in the world map. What are Khmer people do to stop it?
We will do exactely like you
1:35 AM and 1:38 AM
how come no one invest in the water utility in cambodia? it's a very lucrative investment as cambodia is growing and needs water to use everyday at homes, in office, in the businesses, etc... somebody should revamp cambodia's water utility system in cities all over cambodia. if one family paid for water utility every months, the business can be good for the water company. why don't they invest there in cambodia? are they lack of investment niches? they all can help to privatize cambodia's utility system, you know!
why they want to wait to invest until the cow comes home in cambodia? that is so selfish!
they should beautify angkor park too by planting cambodian flowers, green grass yards, etc! do they have public restroom at the park now? cambodia can use all of the above, you know!
Vietnamese Sok Kong owner of Angkor Wat doesn't care about anything.
ask Hun Xen?
Sok Kong is Viet;his real name is Viet Bao.He owns Angkor Wat and many another companies .He said," he is proud to be a Vietnamese in his letter".Please check his letter.He makes money from Angkor Wat,but he does not care about damaging Khmer precious monument.
2 millions visitors a year...where do all the moneys go? someone's pocket or Ah HUNSEN and his cronies's pockets????
Can KI-media shed some light on that, please?
Sok An and Sok Kong own Angkorwat,
Khmers in SiamRiap work and them they take millions each year for their own pockets.
Amazing information sharing...
nice post you shared.
odoo web development
Post a Comment