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Journey along Cambodia’s beating heart

Hasnoor Hussain7 years ago3rd Jan 2018Pictures
The flood 20171206 tmihasnoor 006
A nomadic fisherman using headlamp as he sets out to work. The fishing folk rely on solar panels and batteries for electricity, mainly to light their boathouse and charge their headlamps. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
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FLOODS often translate into losses but here on Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, they are a blessing. They herald a rich harvest for nomadic fishermen.

The annual cycle of floods turns the lake into one of the world’s most productive freshwater ecosystems. Each year, the lake yields about 300,000 tonnes of fish.

During the monsoon, the lake swells as much as five times compared with its dry season size, providing fresh fishing grounds. When the water recedes, the land is rich with silt deposits and floodplain vegetation blossoms.

More than one million people, including the nomadic fishermen, depend on the natural resources of the lake. The lake is fondly known as ‘Cambodia’s beating heart’. – January 3, 2018.

A nomadic fisherman using headlamp as he sets out to work. The fishing folk rely on solar panels and batteries for electricity, mainly to light their boathouse and charge their headlamps. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A nomadic fisherman using headlamp as he sets out to work. The fishing folk rely on solar panels and batteries for electricity, mainly to light their boathouse and charge their headlamps. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A fishmonger leaving after getting her supply from the fishermen. The lake provides half the population’s protein intake. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A fishmonger leaving after getting her supply from the fishermen. The lake provides half the population’s protein intake. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A man on a boat contemplating the end of an evening. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A man on a boat contemplating the end of an evening. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Nomadic fishermen on their boats. The flood is their lifeline, providing food and a place to live on the lake. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Nomadic fishermen on their boats. The flood is their lifeline, providing food and a place to live on the lake. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A girl playing with her cats in a boathouse. A boathouse can accommodate two adults and up to two children. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A girl playing with her cats in a boathouse. A boathouse can accommodate two adults and up to two children. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Utensils and pots hanging in a boathouse. Most boathouses are equipped with the minimal comforts of life. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Utensils and pots hanging in a boathouse. Most boathouses are equipped with the minimal comforts of life. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A boy leaving for school 5km away from where his family live. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A boy leaving for school 5km away from where his family live. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A woman with her poultry. The chicken house moves along with lake as the water level rises or recedes. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A woman with her poultry. The chicken house moves along with lake as the water level rises or recedes. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Children playing on a road partly submerged in floodwaters. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Children playing on a road partly submerged in floodwaters. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A man walking on ground spared the annual flooding along Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A man walking on ground spared the annual flooding along Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A view of Tonle Sap Lake’s floodplain. The area becomes a breeding ground for fish during the floods and turn into a padi field during the dry season. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A view of Tonle Sap Lake’s floodplain. The area becomes a breeding ground for fish during the floods and turn into a padi field during the dry season. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Boathouses belonging to the fishing folk living on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake in Seam Reap. Their lives are governed by the annual floods and dry season. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
Boathouses belonging to the fishing folk living on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake in Seam Reap. Their lives are governed by the annual floods and dry season. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A nomadic fisherman moving his boathouse to deeper waters to avoid being stranded as the floods recede in Tonle Sap Lake. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A nomadic fisherman moving his boathouse to deeper waters to avoid being stranded as the floods recede in Tonle Sap Lake. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A view of a padi field. The area is inundated in October but as the flood recedes, it leaves a fertile ground. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A view of a padi field. The area is inundated in October but as the flood recedes, it leaves a fertile ground. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A man in his boat. Some of the younger generation have moved out from the lake for job or marriage but a few still cling on to the lifestyle as the lake provides them with food, work and a place to live. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
A man in his boat. Some of the younger generation have moved out from the lake for job or marriage but a few still cling on to the lifestyle as the lake provides them with food, work and a place to live. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, January 3, 2018.
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