Located in the Heart of Cambodia

The Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve consists of a lake and its floodplain. The Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake of Southeast Asia. It is located in the Northwest of Cambodia.

The Biosphere Reserve spans almost 1.4 million hectares and includes the lake and most of the surrounding area bordered by the National Routes 5 and 6. It consists of three distinct zones:

(1) the open lake at its center,
(2) a freshwater swamp forest surrounding it and
(3) seasonally flooded grasslands at the margins.

The Biosphere Reserve spans nine provinces: Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat and Kampong Chhnang, Banteay Meanchey, Krong Pailin, Otdar Meanchey, Preah Vihear. About a quarter of the Cambodian population lives in these lakeside provinces. (see map).