“Where nature’s affluence meets human poverty”
Recently I read an interesting news item (www.cnn.com) that Cambodian villagers on the Mekong River caught a stingray that was 3.98 metres long and 2.2 meters wide and weighed 661 pounds (about 300 kilograms). It is said to be the world's biggest freshwater fish ever recorded. The female stingray named Boramy (meaning "full moon" in the Khmer language) was released back into the river after electronic tagging, to allow scientists to monitor her movement and behaviour, said the report.
The very mention of Mekong River evoked in me memories of my visit to Mekong Lake in Cambodia, along with my sister, some years ago. Our nephew Krishnan and his wife Laxmi had arranged our visit. We visited Siem-Reap province in Cambodia, to specially see Angkor Wat, the world-famous temple complex, which was once the seat of Khmer empire in Cambodia, between 9th–15th centuries CE.
The Great Lake After seeing the marvel that was Angkor Wat, when we returned to the hotel, we were told that we should also see Tonl'e Sap or the "Great Lake", the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, which was only about 18 km away from Siem Reap town. Having come all the way to Siem Reap, we didn't want to miss it. In the meantime, we quickly searched for detailed information on the Lake.
The Mekong is the ninth largest river in the world, a ranking based on run off. Six countries namely China, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam share the Mekong Basin. The estimated population in the basin is nearly 70 million.
According to the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Center, Cambodia, the lake and the entire Lower Mekong Basin is the largest and the richest inland fishery in the world, and is also one of the most unique and dynamic freshwater ecosystems in the world. The lake has been supporting the livelihoods of those living along its shores for centuries.
I wondered after visiting Angkor Wat as to how those great monuments were built, and where from the resources came. As pointed out by a visitor ‘Like Egyptians living on the banks of River Nile, the people of Cambodia were provided an abundance of food supply by the lake on a continued basis, so that they could utilize their free labour to create grand monuments, and, attain a high level of culture. In the wet season, they used the advancing waters along the river to carry quarried stones to build the great temples of Angkor---'.
Boating in the lake We were told that boat services were available for cruise around the lake. One could travel from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by express boat service.
It was late afternoon when we started for the lake from Siem Reap. We, therefore, took a taxi that took us around forty minutes to reach the lake. We purchased the tickets from a man with unfriendly looks and hired a small boat.
Initially the lake and its surroundings looked unimpressive. But as the boat started moving forward, the lake became a vast expanse of water, extending as far as the eye could see. Coming from the state of Kerala I was familiar with large salt-water lakes that were mainly incursions of the sea into the land, but never had I seen such a large mass of fresh water before. It appeared as though we were moving in a huge cup of tea, for, the lake waters were muddy.
After covering some distance, we could see floating villages. We were told that thousands of people live on the lake in more than 170 floating villages.
Living on stilts
It is said that one million Cambodians directly depend on the lake for their livelihood. 90% of those people have stilt houses constructed in the lake and 10% live in floating villages.
Seeing those ‘homes in water’ I remembered what one traveller before me had observed ---' Rising up from the dusty ground, impossibly thin, spidery bamboo legs supported gravity-defying bodies. Houses on stilts (of) every design, different, but each a testament to stability and strength, providing shelter to whole families: grandparents, parents, children, a couple of chickens and a handful of dogs'--.
We could see that besides homes on stilts, there were schools, churches and other structures floating on water. A boy of about 14 years who assisted our boatman said that he was studying in one of those schools. Our boatman told us that those living in floating villages move to the shore during dry seasons.
Those living in those make-shift houses generally do not have basic amenities. Villagers have to pay for well water brought in by vendors from other villages miles away.
With no public sewage system, the lake is used as a toilet and garbage dump. Migration is very widespread, especially among young women, affecting the livelihoods of households in positive and negative ways. Most living in those makeshift houses were very poor.
The Pulsating River We moved along the lake for some time. It then occurred to me as to how the lake could support such a huge human population, in fact, a large ecosystem? Where does its bounty come from?
We learned that the Tonl’e Sap River connects the lake with Mekong River. The river keeps changing its direction depending on the seasons. Usually, it functions as the outlet of the Tonle Sap Lake, but in June it flows in the reverse direction. Melting of snow in the Himalayas and heavy monsoon rainfalls occur at the same time, increasing the water levels in Mekong River, and then it causes the reverse flow of the Tonle' Sap River. The unique annual reverse flow of the river called the 'return of the river' and is the main reason for the Lake's natural wealth.
This phenomenon supports the migration of Mekong fish which come to the lake for spawning. Tonl’e Sap Lake acts as a natural buffer of the Mekong River system, regulating floods in Cambodia's central plains.
The water level of the lake reportedly rises to 7 meters during the annual rainy season; the minimum size of the lake then expands from 2,500 sq. km to reach up to16,000 sq. kms. This annual event is celebrated in the capital Phnom Penh as water festival with boat races.
In dry season from November to May the lake is two meters in depth and its size shrinks to about 2,500 square kilometres. The flow of water in Tonlé Sap expands and contracts with the seasons. Therefore, it has earned the name the 'beating heart of Asia'.
How the Lake supports lives and livelihood
The lake is said to be one of the most productive and large wetland ecosystems in the world. About 60% of Cambodian population is sustained by the lake as it provides, besides fish, fresh water as well as fertile soil for growing crops along the Mekong, Tonle' Sap and Bassac rivers. The estimated population in the Mekong basin is nearly 70 million. According to a UNDP report around 40% of population lives below the poverty line in Vietnam, Laos PDR and Cambodia.
Fish and rice are the means of traditional livelihood in the area. The lake is said to be the source of 18 percent of the planet’s freshwater fish catch, and is the fourth largest source of fresh water fish in the world. It is estimated that fishermen can catch up to 300,000 tons of fish annually.
Fish is a part of the people's staple diet. The fish supply 81 percent of the protein to the people.
The lake supports more than 150 species of fish and has over 300 species of fresh water fishes, as well as snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, turtles and otters. We learned that the catfish species which can grow up to 250 kg is said to be almost extinct now. Prawns are also harvested from the lake and lake water is used in raising crocodiles.
The silt deposited by the flooding of the Tonl'e Sap is very fertile. The local farmers cultivate paddy during the season. The farmers have reportedly developed a deep-water rice variety that is unique to this area. Water from the lake is utilized for irrigation of the neighbouring fields, during dry seasons.
Forests We also learned that when the water level in the lake recedes, a 20-30 km wide band of forest called underwater forest is exposed. The forest near the edge of the lake provides ideal shelter to all kinds of fishes for spawning and breeding. More than 100 varieties water birds including storks, pelicans and other animal species, including monkeys, snakes, birds and turtle are reported. Forests also provide non- timber forest products (NTFP) to those who depend on the forests for their livelihoods, and serve as natural barriers to winds and cyclones. While boating in the lake we could see the lake forests only at a distance. We could neither spot any bird or animal, for dusk had already settled in.
Adverse policies on Ecosystem There were reports that the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) terminated the 100-year-old fishing lot system in the lake and allowed open access to the whole lake. The Tonl’e Sap Authority (TSA) was established to oversee the management of the lake. This was brought about suddenly, without giving adequate time for people to adjust to changes. Further, this further limited the access to fishery resources by the poor, especially those living in floating villages and flood- prone areas near-by.
Critics pointed out that National government granting of 99-year land leases since 2000 to foreign companies to grow sugarcane and rubber after logging has adversely affected the critical habitat.
Adverse impact The lake eco-system is today is under threat due to rapid ecological and climatic changes, poor environment management and weak regulation, deforestation, the silting of the lake, pollution of lake waters by fertilizer residues, chemicals and plastic wastes, construction of new dams on the Mekong River, especially in China and Laos causing disruption in the entire Tonl'e Sap water cycle. Over-fishing, rise in illegal fishing, blocking important fish migratory channels have vastly reduced the fish population. Man-made and accidental forest fires, adverse climate impacts, and, upstream hydropower development led to habitat loss and loss of biodiversity. This also meant loss of livelihood to population already living on the edge.
Efforts at conservation The Great Lake was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997. Scientists studying dam and fish dynamics were trying to convince Mekong countries to consider the health of the whole river basin while building dams. However, these efforts are very limited when compared to the huge need for conservation of the lake ecosystem.
The way out
After a long ride we started moving towards the shore. The Sun had set and the lake was soon enveloped by darkness around. Only a few distant lights were visible. The stillness in the air was broken only by the whirring sound of the boats. In the haze around, the lake looked ethereal. I reminded me of the quote “Lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature”.
On the way back I was in deep thought about what the future holds for the lake, and, how could we save the unique lake. I could think of many things to preserve the bounty and complexity of the eco-system, and, simultaneously promote the livelihoods, progress and well-being of the people. But I knew they were too well-known and are easily said than done.
Reflections In the end, I asked myself what have we achieved by our visit? The visit was too short. We could catch only a glimpse of the lake and life in and around it. However, the visit triggered a train of thoughts in me. I found it amazing how man and nature had co-existed in harmony for centuries together, and, how we squander away its bounty, for an elusive gratification. I felt a deep empathy for the people trying to eke out a living out of the Great Lake, and who in their daily struggles are unaware of how the lake is existing on borrowed time. Generally, people are oblivious (or pretend to be oblivious) to the obvious!
A visit to the Tonl'e Sap Lake is an experience that is not the same as that one gets visiting more commercialized, unnaturally maintained and attractive tourist destinations. This experience may be rated as staid and subdued by an ordinary traveller in search of fun and frolic. On the other hand, it is something deep for others, for whom traveling in the midst of nature and people is also a learning experience. While leaving the lake, I remembered what Wordsworth wrote about lakes “--A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable--”
Ref:- ankor-travels.com; www.tourismcambodia.com; factsanddetails.com; southeast Asia - Cambodia; www.takepart.com; www.iucn.org ; aquaticcommon.org