In recent years, many have become increasingly concerned about development and unsustainable exploitation of the Tonle Sap’s natural richness, especially the clearing of the flooded forest and illegal fishing threatening the Tonle Sap. The Tonle Sap is most likely being exploited beyond sustainable limits.

The natural resources of the Tonle Sap are a source of conflict among stakeholders. Inequality of access rights, growing population pressure, severe poverty, insufficient or nonexistent rights of tenure, and cultural and ethnic differences place the lake’s ecosystem and the population that depends on it at risk.

A series of projects is addressing these threats. One of the biggest projects currently implemented is the Tonle Sap Environmental Management Project(2002-2007). The Project is intended to be the first step in a series of ADB interventions (ADB’s Tonle Sap Initiative) for sustainable management and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity in the Tonle Sap Basin.

A Sub-project of the TSEMP is the Environmental Information Database Project (TSBR-ED). The main objective of TSBR-ED is to establish an environmental information database within the TSBR Secretariat that will support the Secretariat’s coordination function and serve the information needs of partner agencies, non-governmental institutions and civil society. This website was developed as part of the TSBR-ED.

For a list of other projects and programs related to the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve please click here.