Imagine an enormous lake that grows as much as six times larger in size every year. Even more amazing, this lake has a river that reverses its flow – twice a 12 months. This rare natural phenomenon takes place only in a single place on earth: tonle sap lake, a heartbeat of Cambodia.
A magical cycle that maintains life
Tonle SAP will not be an odd lake. As the most important freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, it acts like a heart, pulsating the rhythm of the season. Around May, when Monsun comes, the swollen river Mekong pushes water into the Tonle Sap river.
Miraculously, the river reverses its flow, carrying water, nutrients and hundreds of thousands of fish to the lake. The volume of the lake increases dramatically – the depth increases from about one meter to nine meters, and its surface expands from about 2700 km² to over 16,000 km² – almost six times larger than at dry.
When the water grows, the encompassing forests and arable groups grow to be immersed. But it is strictly magic: flood waters form fertile fish farm, resembling catfish and carp.
In the case of local communities, this moment means the golden season. Millions of fish seem to return as if through a present, offering food and life.
When the rains disappear around November, the lake begins to “exhale”. The water withdraws, the Tonle Sap river resumes its usual flow towards Mekong, and hundreds of floating houses return to the dry land.
From the cradle of civilization to the ecological crisis
This natural phenomenon will not be only spectacular – it’s obligatory for the survival of hundreds of thousands in Cambodia. About three million people were directly on the lake, and 80% of the population is determined by the fish because the predominant source of protein. The SAP tonle accounts for over 75% of freshwater fish fishing within the country.
This relationship reaches centuries to the Angkor era. Temple sculptures depict fish markets, while food residues present in ancient tombs reveal a long-term culture of fish maintenance, grilling, creation of soups and fermentation in Prahok, the idea of Cambodian cuisine.
But today this “heartbeat” weakens. Over the past decade, climate change and construction of the dam up the river along the Mekong have disrupted the water cycle Tonle SAP. Less water flows, the reversal period is shortened, and in a number of years it doesn’t occur in any respect – as in 2020.
In September, often the height of rainy season, the water never arrived. The Tonle Sap River, which should grow with water from Mekong, remained motionless. However, the identical cycle has made the lake one of the vital productive freshwater fishing on the planet for hundreds of years.
A dilemma there and fisheries in crisis
What drives this crisis? One of the predominant aspects is the fast construction of dams along the Mekong River – often called the Lancang River in China – growing from the upper part in China to countries resembling Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
These dams stop billions of liters of water, block fish migration routes and reduce the flow of nutrients to the juice tonle.
At the identical time, the overlap worsened the matter. Although the federal government has set protection zones, poor enforcement and illegal practices have caused questions on their effectiveness.
Many small fishermen are forced to make use of forbidden fishing equipment-such as non-dimensional networks or traps manufactured from protected deciduous wood-explicitly for survival. For them it will not be about breaking the law; It’s about feeding their families.
When the past was richer than the current
For the inhabitants, Tonle Sap Nostalgia is nice and bitter. Many still remember the time when the lake is filled with life, when the fish practically jump into their boats. Even rare species, resembling the large sum of Mekong.
Today, nevertheless, fish populations are still falling. And if a major motion will not be taken, the natural wealth Tonle SAP can soon exist only in memory.
