Champions of deforestation
Primary forest, which still represented 70% of the territory in the 1970s, had shrunk to just 3.1% by 2007. Almost half of Cambodia is still covered by forest, but the vast majority of it is man-made, a far cry from the primeval forests that once nurtured an extremely rich biodiversity. The scale of the deforestation phenomenon is compounded by its speed: most losses have occurred since 2000! Cambodia was even the country with the highest rate of deforestation in the world in 2015.
One of the reasons for this hecatomb is energy-related: at a time when only a quarter of Cambodians have daily access to electricity, wood is essential to cover their needs. It still accounts for 80% of the energy mix. The other culprit is agriculture: the indigenous trees of the primary forests are being replaced by rows of rubber trees, Palmyra palms and Guinea eleis, which produce rubber, sugar and the famous palm oil respectively. Added to this is the illegal felling of precious woods, which the authorities tolerate because of corruption. In spite of everything, a legal framework is supposed to protect these forests, notably with a logging ban enshrined in the 1993 Constitution. In practice, however, the phenomenon continues, and the authorities often turn a blind eye.
Alarm bell for Cambodian waterways
The Tonlé Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, has the astonishing ability to quadruple its surface area during the monsoons, flooding the surrounding forests. An extremely rich biodiversity reserve, recognized as a biosphere reserve by Unesco, it is now under threat. Hydroelectric dams are multiplying on the tributaries of the Mekong and the lake. These dams are dangerously lowering water levels, while global warming is giving them a helping hand. On top of this, the numerous dams are blocking sediment and nutrients, as well as fish migration. Fishermen are increasingly hauling in empty nets, despite the fact that the Tonle Sap is essential to Cambodia's fisheries, accounting for 75% of the country's catch.
Added to this is the pollution, particularly heavy metal pollution, which is extreme. This leads to a proliferation of algae, which threatens marine life, even though nearly 200 species of fish inhabit its waters, 11 of which are considered endangered.
As the lake enters its fourth year of drought in 2022, the situation is becoming so worrying that experts are sounding the alarm: the Tonle Lake ecosystem could well disappear. A Human Rights Watch report even accuses the government of ecological crime, while rescue plans are still lacking.
Activists silenced
Cambodia, long ravaged by war, saw its prosperous environment as a source of economic reconstruction and, over the last few decades, has begun to exploit its natural resources to the full. But while government measures in favor of the environment are still poorly structured and put into practice, citizens' initiatives are multiplying, and many activists are denouncing the tragedy unfolding before their eyes. The government's response is almost systematic repression.
One of the country's most prominent environmental NGOs, Mother Nature Cambodia, which protests against sand extraction, deforestation and dam construction, while accusing the government of abuses, has paid the price. On several occasions, its members have been arrested and sentenced to prison terms, notably for organizing a protest march against the infilling of Lake Boeng Tamok. The association was even officially dissolved by the Ministry of the Interior in 2017.
In 2021, an activist from the Prey Lang Community Network, a community of patrollers overseeing the preservation of the Prey Lang forest sanctuary, was also arrested and sentenced. His crime: taking photos of trucks full of logs leaving the Prey Lang forest, supposedly a protected area. This event caused quite a stir among international NGOs, to the point of helping to bring the United States to a halt over a program to preserve Prey Lang.
Biodiversity: between riches and threats
Cambodia's biodiversity is exceptionally rich, thanks to a wide variety of landscapes. The Mekong basin, in particular, is an ecological treasure trove, home to rare terrestrial and aquatic species such as the panga(Pangasianodoon hypophthalmus), a fish found only here in the wild. Yet, like many other Cambodian species, its population is in decline. In addition to habitat destruction, other factors such as the use of pesticides in agriculture are also responsible. Some of the scourges of war still threaten flora and fauna today, as in the case of Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide sprayed by plane by the USA to kill the thick jungle in which the Vietnamese hid. The waters of the Mekong are still polluted today by the herbicide, among a cocktail of fertilizers and insecticides that mix with its waters. On land, pressures are also mounting, as in March 2021, the government signed sub-decree no. 30, stripping 127,000 hectares of territory, sanctuaries, reserves and national parks of their protected status, turning them into private property. Among the areas affected, the Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary has lost a third of its surface area, despite being home to rare species such as the hairy-nosed otter(Lutra sumatrana), once widespread but now so rare that it was long thought to be extinct.
National parks: essential to ecological recovery
Cambodia has seven national parks, all created in 1993. The largest, Virachey National Park, is home to some of the country's last remaining primeval forests. Although its dense forest, one of the most isolated in the country, is still largely unexplored, rare and endangered species such as the Asiatic black bear, the Javanese pangolin and the king cobra have been observed here.
Botum Sakor National Park is the country's second largest, covering 1,712 km2, although 360 km2 were razed in 2010 to build, ironically, infrastructure for ecotourism. Its preservation is essential, however, since, stretching across the Cardamom ranges in a tangle of fragile mangroves, plains and forests, it is home to some remarkable species. Some are extremely threatened, such as the bonneted gibbon, which has fallen victim to poaching and is the subject of a vast reintroduction program, although the destruction of its habitat is reducing its chances of survival.
It's not for nothing that Kirirom National Park, also in the Cardamom Ranges, translates as "Happy Mountain": many endangered species live here happily, including the Malayan bear, the smallest of all bear species. The landscape, with its waterfalls, pine forests, plains and rivers, is quite welcoming.
Ream National Park, which consists mainly of mangrove swamps, is best visited by boat, on which you can observe a wealth of wildlife, including freshwater dolphins. Numerous birds also find refuge in this environment, including pelicans, among 150 other species.
