Since 2021, the EU has been funding a series of initiatives to conserve the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, recognised by UNESCO as a globally significant wetland ecosystem. Despite this recognition, the area faces numerous threats, ranging from climate change to overfishing.
The four-year, EU-funded ‘Our Tonle Sap’ project, led by a consortium headed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), has implemented various measures to preserve the region’s biodiversity and support the communities that depend on it.
As part of the project, several new protected areas have been established, including the 20,000-hectare Prek Toal Ramsar site in Battambang province, Cambodia’s largest bird sanctuary.
Situated in the northwest corner of Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake, the Tonle Sap, this area is home to hundreds of bird species, including 15 globally threatened species such as the painted stork, oriental darter, and Asian openbill. It also contains numerous freshwater fish habitats.
The ‘Our Tonle Sap’ project has seen the EU collaborate with local partners and the Ministry of Environment to develop the Prek Toal Ramsar site and establish other conservation areas to protect the lake’s biodiversity. The project aims to empower local communities and stakeholders to improve water resource management, promote sustainable agriculture, and develop fisheries and freshwater products.
Thanks to EU funding, the protected bird sanctuaries are also providing local communities with additional income through ecotourism. Visitors can enjoy boat tours led by knowledgeable local guides, and viewing platforms have been installed at 11 locations, allowing visitors to observe the numerous species that inhabit the area.
In January, a delegation from the EU, along with Cambodia’s Minister of Environment and other leading officials, visited Prek Toal Ramsar as part of the EU-funded ‘For Our Planet’ campaign to witness the impacts of the four-year project.
Hong Chamnan, director of the Ministry of Environment’s Freshwater Conservation Department, was part of the delegation: 'Failure to address development within conservation efforts will hinder success. Continued support from the EU and other organisations is positive. Successful ecological restoration efforts attract tourists to observe wildlife.'
We’re here as part of the ‘For Our Planet’ campaign, which aims to spotlight some of the challenges facing our planet – environmental degradation, species loss and climate change, to name but a few – and also to highlight some of the solutions we can provide to address those challenges.
It’s no coincidence that we’ve come to Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake, which is not only a biodiversity hotspot but also a source of income for millions of Cambodians.