BOUNTIFUL RURAL FISHERIES AND FORESTS THREATENED
A massive movement to unite the poor to protect their livelihoods
Tonlé Sap Lake is the center of life for more than three million Cambodians, providing over 75 percent of Cambodia's annual inland fish catch and 60 percent of Cambodians' protein intake. It is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, and a natural floodplain reservoir that drains into the Mekong. Every year, the lake observes a phenomenal natural occurrence: the Mekong rises and flows into the Tonlé Sap, expanding its area over five times, up to 16,000 square kilometers and up to 9 meters deep during monsoon season. Over the past four years, The Asia Foundation has worked with hundreds of community-based organizations (CBOs) around Tonlé Sap to promote their participation in local decision-making and to demand better natural resource management and access to markets to improve their livelihoods. But with the planned construction of up to 12 hydropower dams on the Mekong, many worry about possible negative impacts on fish catches and on the livelihoods of these communities, which depend heavily on natural resources. Unfortunately, these communities are often unaware of their rights, or how to influence authorities —and they face competition from private interests. Through the Civil Society and Pro-Poor Markets (CSPPM) program, the Foundation has helped these rural communities raise their voices, and so far helped nearly 225 small grassroots organizations protect more than 46,000 hectares of forest and fisheries.
— MOUL SAMNEANG
Senior Program Officer, Civil Society and Pro-Poor Markets, Phnom Penh