Partner Living Lakes
Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT)
Partner Lake since
2010
UNSECO Biosphere Reserve (since 1997)
Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve (since 2001)
Protected area
14,812 km² Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve
Size (Tonle Sap Lake)
2,500 - 3,000 sq. km [km²] in the dry season (November to March)
10,400 - 16,000 sq. km [km²] in the rainy season (May to October)
Length
160 km in the dry season (late April)
250 km in the rainy season (September, early October)
Water volume
1 km³ in the dry season
80 km³ in the rainy season
Maximum depth
20 m
Mean depth
1 - 2 m in the dry season
8 - 11 m in the rainy season
Sea level
0.5 m above sea level
Catchment area
80,000 sq. km [km²] Tonle Sap Basin
(44 % of Combodia´s total land area)
In-flows
primary: Tonle Sap River, Siem Reap River
Salinity
fresh water
Precipitation per year
1,000 - 3,000 mm, locally up to 4,000 mm
Completely frozen over
never
Location
Cambodia
Plants
200 species in the flooded forests
Birds
225 species
Mammals
46 species
Reptiles
42 species
Fish
296 species
Inhabitants in the lake area
1.2 mio. people live around the lake
32 % of Combodia´s people in the Tonle Sap Basin
Biggest problems
domestic sewage and pollution, overfishing, cutting of flooded forests, dam projects along the Mekong River, falling water level, climate change effects