Cambodian leader warns that development poses threat to 'Great Lake'
The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia's prime minister warned Monday that increasing population and over-exploitation of fisheries and wildlife pose a dire threat to his country's Tonle Sap, or "Great Lake," the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
"The lake is facing a serious threat of over-exploitation and its ecosystem has become quite fragile," Prime Minister Hun Sen said at a national forum on the Tonle Sap held in Phnom Penh.
"Honestly, if this problem is not addressed decisively and soon enough, Cambodia could face a serious environmental disaster," he warned.
He said the clearing of nearby forest land for large-scale agriculture is resulting in the seepage of fertilizer and pesticides into the lake, creating serious environmental problems.
Tonle Sap is 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh and touches six provinces. Hun Sen said the lake's basin is home to about 4 million of Cambodia's 14 million people, and that about 40 percent of the country's population derive some benefit from its resources.
The lake harbors a rich biosphere of more than 200 species of fish, 42 types of reptiles, 225 species of birds and 46 kinds of mammals.
C. Lawrence Greenwood, vice president of the Asian Development Bank, said weak governance, severe poverty and social inequity, and conflicts over management of fisheries and natural resources pose serious threats to the lake's ecosystem and the livelihoods of people who depend on it.
"The great lake provides daily sustenance and livelihoods for over 1 million people, many of whom are among the poorest in Cambodia," Greenwood said at the seminar.
Tonle Sap covers approximately 250,000 hectares (618,000 acres) during the dry season and expands to about 1.25 million hectares (3 million acres) during the rainy season.
"The lake is facing a serious threat of over-exploitation and its ecosystem has become quite fragile," Prime Minister Hun Sen said at a national forum on the Tonle Sap held in Phnom Penh.
"Honestly, if this problem is not addressed decisively and soon enough, Cambodia could face a serious environmental disaster," he warned.
He said the clearing of nearby forest land for large-scale agriculture is resulting in the seepage of fertilizer and pesticides into the lake, creating serious environmental problems.
Tonle Sap is 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh and touches six provinces. Hun Sen said the lake's basin is home to about 4 million of Cambodia's 14 million people, and that about 40 percent of the country's population derive some benefit from its resources.
The lake harbors a rich biosphere of more than 200 species of fish, 42 types of reptiles, 225 species of birds and 46 kinds of mammals.
C. Lawrence Greenwood, vice president of the Asian Development Bank, said weak governance, severe poverty and social inequity, and conflicts over management of fisheries and natural resources pose serious threats to the lake's ecosystem and the livelihoods of people who depend on it.
"The great lake provides daily sustenance and livelihoods for over 1 million people, many of whom are among the poorest in Cambodia," Greenwood said at the seminar.
Tonle Sap covers approximately 250,000 hectares (618,000 acres) during the dry season and expands to about 1.25 million hectares (3 million acres) during the rainy season.
6 comments:
This is the story of elder wiseman. Hun Sen was dreaming at one particular night and waking and smelling dead fishes around him. The souls of those fishes were cursing him the rest of the night and making his move so his wife coud not sleep either.
Yuons are occupying Tonle Sap.
Does Hun SEn dare to confront them ?
This is balony ah stupid hun sen. if you are serious about it, take action, do not judst bark. Khmer wants action now, before its too late.
Yes, Yes, yes, ah Viet dog Hun Sen deserves a Nobel price that consists of a 6-foot bamboo trunk starting from his bottom up all the way thru to his mouth just like one does to make a so-called FISH-on-a-stick, the fresh water FISH which those illegal Viets steal off of Khmer Tonle Sap lake. It's only fair!
yeah NOBEL PRIZE!
After a string of PhD degrees bestowed on him, he seems to start learning a little bit.
Well, who said a retard can never learned.
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