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Tonle Sap (Boeng Tonle Chhma)
General Information
| Description |
Tonle Sap is Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake. Flooding during the rainy season each year reverses the flow of the Tonle Sap River and triples the surface area of the lake. Large areas of grassland and forest are flooded, creating a highly productive area that supports one of the largest freshwater fisheries in the world. |
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| Country |
Cambodia
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| Latitude |
12° 58' 48"
(12.9800) |
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| Longitude |
103° 54'
0" (103.9000) |
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| State |
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| River Basin |
Mekong
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Maps
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Tonle Sap global index map (LakeNet Explorer)
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Largest Lakes in the World by Area (LakeNet Explorer 2004)
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Tonle Sap locator map |
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Lake Basin Management Initiative (LakeNet Explorer)
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Physical Characteristics
| Description |
The surface area of Lake Tonle Sap varies greatly by season. Data sources report surface areas of from 2,569.9 km2 to 30,000 km2. Furthermore, as the main Mekong flood level heightens each year during the
southwest monsoon every June or July, the direction of flow of the Tonle Sap River reverses,
creating the exceptional water regime with huge changes in the lake water level (from about 1m
up to 10 meters) and water volume (from about 2,500 km2 to approximate 11,000 km2) between
seasons. |
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| Volume |
40.00 km3 |
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| Surface Area |
13,000.00 km2 |
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| Depth |
Mean depth: 1.0 m
Maximum depth: 10.0 m
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| Origin |
River
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| Type |
Fresh
Permanent
Natural
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| Catchment |
Catchment size: 70,000.00
km2
Catchment/surface area ratio: 5:1 |
Socio-Political
| Economic Value |
Tonle Sap provides 75% of Cambodia's national inland fish production. Fishing and agricultural activities around the lake support 1.2 million Cambodians. Fish from Tonle Sap are thought to be the single main source of protein for the Cambodian people. Approximately 3 million people live around the lake. |
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| Major Cities |
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Watershed Management
| Description |
The Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve management is based on identifying three zones (core areas, buffer zone and transition zone) and identifying different management goals for each. The core areas are set aside for long term protection and conservation. |
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| Issues |
Fish stocks and catch are dropping, deforestation is widespread and sewage & other waste are polluting the lake, which provides drinking water for thousands. The largest threats to the flooded forests are the clearing of forests to make way for agricultural land, collection of firewood, and collection of wood for fish traps. |
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| Other Issues |
Erosion
Nutrient pollution
Fisheries
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| Monitoring |
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Biodiversity Conservation
| Description |
Tonle Sap is home to more than 200 fish species, 70 of which are of commercial value. 23 snake species, 13 turtle species, a crocodile species, macaque and leopard cat are among the species identified in Tonle Sap Lake. The variety of biodiversity in Tonle Sap is understudied. 69% of the original forest in the Mekong River basin has been lost. The deforestation rate is 16%. |
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| Designations |
Biosphere Reserve
LakeNet Biodiversity Priority
Ramsar Site
WWF Global 200
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| Ramsar Site Name |
Boeng Chhmar and Associated River System and Floodplain |
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| Ramsar Designations |
1, 2, 3, 5, 6
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| Species of Concern |
There is heavy exploitation of Tonle Sap's endemic watersnake Enhydris longicauda for use as crocodile food (crocodiles are farmed commercially near the lake) and human food. Harvests of homalopsine watersnakes appears to be highly unsustainable; data gathered durin 1999 and 2000 indicate that more than 8,500 watersnakes per day were being harvested and sold during the peak of the wet season. |
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Organizations
LakeNet Programs
Documents
Resources
News
Additional Data Sources
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Birkett, C., and I. Mason. 1995. A new global lakes database for remote sensing programme studying climatically sensitive large lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 21 (3) 307-318. |
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Duker, L. and L. Borre. 2001. Biodiversity conservation of the world's lakes: a preliminary framework for identifying priorities. LakeNet Report Series Number 2. Annapolis, Maryland USA. |
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International Lake Environment Committee, the United Nations Environment Program and Environment Agency, Government of Japan. 1997. World Lakes Database. |
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TRAFFIC Bulletin. Vol. 18 No. 3. December 2000. |
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